Tornado Watch/Tornado Warning!!!
If your in the Lake Hughes/Castaic, area this a.m. - Log-Off right now & get to the safest place in your home with emergency supplies, and follow your local emergency broadcast instructions.
There is a Tornado Watch in effect in your area right now!!!
Our prayers are with you.

There is a huge difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. I would bet they dont have to worry about much. Tornados are not very common here in California. It would be interesting though to see if anything happens. The last time I heard about a tornado here in California was about 8 years ago in Orange. They were small though with very minimal damage if any.

we've had some wacky weather lately. Just to be safe, here's the bulletin:
691
WFUS56 KLOX 101418
TORLOX
CAC111-101530-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
620 AM PST MON JAN 10 2005


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN OXNARD HAS ISSUED A


* TORNADO WARNING FOR...
WESTERN VENTURA COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA
INCLUDING LA CONCHITA...VENTURA AND OXNARD


* UNTIL 730 AM PST


* AT 615 AM PST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WITH A WATERSPOUT...LOCATED 15 MILES SOUTHWEST
OF VENTURA. THE STORM IS MOVING TO THE EAST NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH.


* THE TORNADO IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR...
LA CONCHITA AND VENTURA BY 645 AM PST


WHEN A TORNADO WARNING IS ISSUED BASED ON DOPPLER RADAR...IT MEANS
THAT STRONG ROTATION HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STORM. A WATERSPOUT MAY
ALREADY BE ON THE WATER SURFACE...OR IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SHORTLY.
THIS WOULD BECOME A TORNADO WHEN THE THUNDERSTORM MOVES ONSHORE. IF
YOU ARE IN THE PATH OF THIS DANGEROUS STORM...MOVE INDOORS AND TO
THE LOWEST LEVEL OF THE BUILDING. STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. IF
DRIVING...DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER A HIGHWAY OVERPASS.


IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE...SEEK SHELTER IN A NEARBY REINFORCED
BUILDING. AS A LAST RESORT...SEEK SHELTER IN A CULVERT...DITCH OR LOW
SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.


THE SAFEST PLACE TO BE DURING A TORNADO IS IN A BASEMENT. GET UNDER A
WORKBENCH OR OTHER PIECE OF STURDY FURNITURE. IF NO BASEMENT IS
AVAILABLE...SEEK SHELTER ON THE LOWEST FLOOR OF THE BUILDING IN AN
INTERIOR HALLWAY OR ROOM SUCH AS A CLOSET. USE BLANKETS OR PILLOWS TO
COVER YOUR BODY AND ALWAYS STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS.


IF IN MOBILE HOMES OR VEHICLES...EVACUATE THEM AND GET INSIDE A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER. IF NO SHELTER IS AVAILABLE...LIE FLAT IN THE
NEAREST DITCH OR OTHER LOW SPOT AND COVER YOUR HEAD WITH YOUR HANDS.

In the winter of 1982/83, one touched down in the tank farm in El Segundo, and made it's way to the LA Convention Center, where it removed part of the roof ................ A few years later, one hit a mobile home park in Orange County, and one hit some trailers in Gaviota (half way between Mikey and The Cap'n) just a few years ago. On another topic, I was reading about a tsunami that hit the SB coast in 1812 and washed a ship up a creek, and then back into the ocean, leaving it still seaworthy .................... The Cap'n

Uh oh, Im in irvine... better not go to class. I wouldnt want to get blown away in the wind!

Buncha Left coast wussies..

Tornados are nothing to worry about.... until you hear the sirens in your area. Plus the ones that you get out there are lucky to be a F-1. The one that hit Downtown Ft. Worth in 2000 was an F3, and people were still at work in the offices surronding Sundance square where the tornado hit.

Remember, we dont have sirens in southern california. The only experience ive had with tornados was that movie... with billl paxton...

I think its just the fear of the unknown. Ive slept through earthquakes, but some people on the east coast and south are afraid of them!

We had a little one come real close to my work one time. It actually made the windows bulge outward. They still leak air to this day. I never even got off the telephone with the customer. And I sit by the window.

A tornado won't really hurt you unless it hits you directly. And the odds of a direct hit are higher than getting hit by lightning. But if it does hit you, you are screwed. Remember, if you can see it moving, it's not coming directly at you.

Here is an interesting statistic page on California twisters up to 1995. In my 40 years of living on the West Coast I have seen one tornado and one water spout. They arent common, but they do happen.

http://www.disastercenter.com/californ/tornado.html

Is MikeZ in town?

If you hear a freight train & your nowhere near r/r tracks... guess what???
Run for the basement - it IS a tornado. & if I'm right - you live. If I'm wrong - you live.
I can live with that

Coming back from the WCC 04 we were surrounded by them in tornado alley. We figured we'd get off the freeway and wait it out. We followed about 5 cars off the exit ramp. Turns out the other vehicles were storm chasers heading east off the freeway to the eye of the storm!

QUOTE (MattR @ Jan 10 2005, 12:58 PM)

Remember, we dont have sirens in southern california. The only experience ive had with tornados was that movie... with billl paxton... I think its just the fear of the unknown. Ive slept through earthquakes, but some people on the east coast and south are afraid of them!

Growing up in Southern California, I used to hear the sirens in elementary school but it's funny you mention that. They used to have them here but I dont remember hearing them since the late 60's. I wonder if they are still out there or if they have all been taken out?

Wait a second. The sirens you heard in So. Cal. in the 60's had absolutely nothing to do with tornados. Forgetaboutit. I remember, I grew up here too.
They sounded that alarm EVERY time ELVIS left a building
It just sounded like a tornado - in the later years.