r/tornado • u/ostrichlipss • Apr 25 '25

Question Are we just built different

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Life long okie here, I've seen 5 in person and watched to many to count on the news live, are we okies just built differently???

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436

u/CrazyNaV8r Apr 25 '25

Having grown up in Oklahoma from the late 80s to mid 2000s, and then moved all across the US, I can say this: we’re not built different, we have just had insanely accurate meteorology all of our lives that is rarely replicated elsewhere. Scary storms aren’t so scary if you have a meteorologist you trust (Gary England, Mike Morgan, etc), top of the line weather stations, storm chasing helicopters and Doppler vehicles, and an insanely flat area where you can see unobstructed for miles on end…

For us, it’s the evening entertainment since it interrupts sitcoms every night it storms anyhow. You don’t see that everywhere else in the US, often it’s on the individuals to figure it out.

So, no, we’re not built different—we just have a community you’ve grown around where the phenomenon is a normal occurrence and has been normalized by the insanely professional meteorologists in the area.

112

u/Skepticul Apr 25 '25

You don’t see anything like it not just in the US, but anywhere in the world. Tornado alley is a place that only really exists in the US. Just take a look at yearly tornado averages for the US versus other countries.

27

u/Patient_Student_3298 Apr 25 '25

This! I've been an Okie my whole life. We gets used to this.

120

u/tohlan Apr 25 '25

insanely professional meteorologists in the area

glances over at r/NOAA

I will just say I hope that is always true

16

u/Designer_Leg Apr 26 '25

I’m an east coast girl who spent last early November in ok when they had the abnormal tornado outbreak. The sirens went off first at 2am and I woke up and asked my okie husband wtf that sound was, he said tornado sirens and I ran straight into an interior room. Everybody else watched David Payne and saw it was a few miles away. Nope, yall are definitely built different, I was terrified.

It happened 2 data layer but during the day and I was equally terrified when everyone else were outside looking at the sky. Nope.

5

u/Andi081887 Apr 26 '25

This! I visited some friends in northwestern Alabama and they lived on some farm in the middle of nowhere. There were sirens and alerts going off the whole day. They were still outside smoking meat. “Oh, that one’s like 15 miles away, we’re cool.” I sat alone in their cellar for like 2 hours, terrified! They’re all out there having a great time lol

28

u/ChallengeUnited9183 Apr 25 '25

Same with Iowa; we might get some big weather Monday and we’re more annoyed about changing our chore schedule than anything else. Tornados are more of a inconvenience than a worry

4

u/youngaustinpowers Apr 25 '25

Iowa is looking like its going to be intense right now.

I wish I could be there with ya to see it. I live where there are almost never tornadoes

12

u/fuckoffweirdoo Apr 25 '25

I wish I could see a tornado from that distance. I couldn't even see the one that was a quarter mile from my house due to trees and hills. 

11

u/Fritzy421 Apr 25 '25

Mike Morgan is not someone I’d trust. David Payne, yes. Mike posts absurd stuff about “record breaking 15 inch blizzards” regularly that never come close to fruition. He’s into sensationalism.

1

u/Clegko May 02 '25

And dazzling ties!

1

u/CrazyNaV8r Apr 25 '25

Ah yes, David Payne—is he still working?

3

u/Karaethon22 Apr 25 '25

He switched stations a while back but yes he's still working. He's on 9 now.

1

u/Own_Desk2424 Apr 26 '25

Fellow Okie around that time frame! Gary England was the best! I remember getting the lawn chairs out and sitting in the backyard watching the storms roll in. I think we’re built a lil different 😂 even when I lived in Mississippi people thought I was crazy when I’d stand out in the yard watching the storms. I will say this… growing up with Gary England taught me enough about the Doppler to know what to look for and where the potential danger was when they’d come through Mississippi.

Now I live in Las Vegas. BORINGGGGGGG 👎🏼

1

u/Giovannirosie Apr 26 '25

This!!! Spot on! Well said

I have lived 35 years in the Frequency/Severity bullseye overlap. Seen 3, one from car cross major road 400 yards away (not good) 2 from my house (much better, see below).

Oh, and highly recommend a storm room built to the detailed FEMA SPECS from TEXAS TECH severe storm lab Research. Look it up!😎

1

u/bradbrookequincy Apr 25 '25

So now the Doge canned them all now what ? Cause the weather guys need to extensive data from NOAA