With all the homes destroyed and no fatalities is nothing short of a miracle 
Just a county away is close enough for me ! Some good footage here:
Just a county away is close enough for me ! Some good footage here:Sure glad I have a basement !
- Thread starter Tinman
- Start date
With all the homes destroyed and no fatalities is nothing short of a miracle
Glad you and family are safe. Prayers for those that were in the path.
Seeing these videos every year just makes me sad. The amount of destruction and loss of human life is truly astounding. 
Living in tornado alley is probably something people have to accept and prepare for.
More than ten years ago a friend hired a contractor to build two separate shelters on the property. One was a shelter in the ground inside of the garage.
The other was like a very small out house type of building you would see for a toilet. The entire structure was made out of concrete, rebar, and Simpson tie downs.
Opening the door just led you to a staircase that went into the ground. Which had two separate air tight blast doors that you would see on a battle ship.
As you entered it was a huge room that had everything a regular house would have from bedrooms, washroom, kitchen, living room, huge storage rooms and under the floor.
The very far back had an isolated generator / battery system. All the expected communication hardware from old school CB to satellite was present along with a decent video security and weather monitoring.
Probably the most impressive things are the details he invested in to insure human safety as it relates to force protection, fire control, air filtration, water, food storage, medical, and temperature regulation.
A lot of these so called bunkers normally have only one escape exit. In this one it had three and probably one of the most over the top (impressive as hell) the hydraulic jacks that could lift an entire 18 wheeler off the doors?!?
First time I saw them running over and parking a semi on that door. Then watching John press a button and see a full sized semi lift up five feet in the air?!?
Pretty sure if any of the doors were blocked it could easily push that obstruction out of the way!
The engineering and costs to build these three doors probably cost more than most bunkers!
Living in tornado alley is probably something people have to accept and prepare for.
More than ten years ago a friend hired a contractor to build two separate shelters on the property. One was a shelter in the ground inside of the garage.
The other was like a very small out house type of building you would see for a toilet. The entire structure was made out of concrete, rebar, and Simpson tie downs.
Opening the door just led you to a staircase that went into the ground. Which had two separate air tight blast doors that you would see on a battle ship.
As you entered it was a huge room that had everything a regular house would have from bedrooms, washroom, kitchen, living room, huge storage rooms and under the floor.
The very far back had an isolated generator / battery system. All the expected communication hardware from old school CB to satellite was present along with a decent video security and weather monitoring.
Probably the most impressive things are the details he invested in to insure human safety as it relates to force protection, fire control, air filtration, water, food storage, medical, and temperature regulation.
A lot of these so called bunkers normally have only one escape exit. In this one it had three and probably one of the most over the top (impressive as hell) the hydraulic jacks that could lift an entire 18 wheeler off the doors?!?
First time I saw them running over and parking a semi on that door. Then watching John press a button and see a full sized semi lift up five feet in the air?!?
Pretty sure if any of the doors were blocked it could easily push that obstruction out of the way!
The engineering and costs to build these three doors probably cost more than most bunkers!
bigredfish
Known around here
Lived in Dallas for many years, now having been in Florida for 20, I’d rather take my chances with hurricanes. Much more predictable and typically days of advance warning.
Notice how the foundation walls fell outward on the one home @ 1:30, just being in basement doesn't mean you are safe...those people were extremely fortunate! And some homes are spared just across the street.
No question for sure as with a tornado it’s coming and going at random! This was the primary reason my friend had two separate shelters built.
The garage shelter was the compromise of zero notice and no time. But to get to something to protect the family.
But as seen in these videos if the entire structure fell on you having a shelter in the garage floor could leave you stranded!
So far the news says there have been no fatalities?!? Really hope so and also happy the OP is fine too!
I don't think that's what I would call a "basement".... likely block walls for a crawl space under the house.
Yes, after a closer look I agree. It would make you rethink the rebuilding plan that's for sure.
In case people are interested in the same this is just a random video showcasing what my friend has. But was made a lot bigger, stronger, and had crazy 50 ton hydronic Jack system.
Thx for sharing, never seen one before. When I was a kid on the farm, we always headed to the cave, which was outside the house. It was almost as scary going down in that cave as the storm approaching, it was dark, snakes, spiders and who knows what!
Oh yeah pretty much everyone on the farms or old house had a root cellar they doubled as a storm shelter!
All manner of creepy crawling things.
The famous double door that was beveled into the ground is pretty common I’ve seen. Keep us updated as to how things unfold in that area.
Hug your kids and love ones and make each day count!
June 3, 1980 I lived in a Nebraska town called Grand Island. The population at that time was about 35,000. That evening and night we had seven tornados touch down in the city. (1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak - Wikipedia) It killed a few people and really demolished a good part of the town. Grand Island is in the Platte River valley. The water table is high, so there are very few basements to hide in. There was a movie made about that night called "Night of the Twisters". I live in Lincoln now and the latest round of tornados started on the west side of Lincoln and proceeded to the north and then took a turn to the northeast and made its way to the Omaha area. I have a camera on a cell tower in south east Lincoln that streams to YouTube live. Here is a picture looking north. If you look closely you can see one of the many funnels that formed and moved to the northeast. This one is about ten miles from the camera. The camera had 5744 views that couple of hours when the storm was active.
www.youtube.com
OPS Live! 1 - Lincoln, NE Weathercam Livestream
This live camera streams HD video and has a 40X zoom lens. If you like this YouTube live stream, please give it a thumbs up, subscribe and tell your friends...
www.youtube.com
June 3, 1980 I lived in a Nebraska town called Grand Island. The population at that time was about 35,000. That evening and night we had seven tornados touch down in the city. (1980 Grand Island tornado outbreak - Wikipedia) It killed a few people and really demolished a good part of the town. Grand Island is in the Platte River valley. The water table is high, so there are very few basements to hide in. There was a movie made about that night called "Night of the Twisters". I live in Lincoln now and the latest round of tornados started on the west side of Lincoln and proceeded to the north and then took a turn to the northeast and made its way to the Omaha area. I have a camera on a cell tower in south east Lincoln that streams to YouTube live. Here is a picture looking north. If you look closely you can see one of the many funnels that formed and moved to the northeast. This one is about ten miles from the camera. The camera had 5744 views that couple of hours when the storm was active.
OPS Live! 1 - Lincoln, NE Weathercam Livestream
This live camera streams HD video and has a 40X zoom lens. If you like this YouTube live stream, please give it a thumbs up, subscribe and tell your friends...
If it hasn’t been said lately thank you for sharing this video resource for the general public!
This is what the technology was intended for so life and safety could be improved and protected!
Rock On . . .
May 11, 1970 Lubbock Texas. I was 7 years old. Freak'n bad. But about every 3rd to 4th home on the block had a storm cellar. When the calls were made, each family knew which home to go to. We went next door to the Littles. They would have doors open any every one would file in and down to the cellar. Mr. Little had beers for the men, and snacks for the wife's. Though I don't miss Tornadoes, I miss those days. I have been thru many each: Typhoons, Tornadoes, Hurricanes, blah....blah....blah. I would pick them all over a Tornado. Very little (if you are lucky or awake) to no warning before that freight train hits you.
Excerpt:
April 27, 2011:
This day will live forever in the hearts and memories of most Alabamians, and the scars left on the Alabama landscape will be visible for years to come. Despite the destruction left behind, there were immediate visions of redevelopment and growth. The 2011 Super Outbreak spanned multiple days and affected 26 states across the southern and eastern United States. Alabama was the hardest hit.
April 27, 2011 in Alabama
April 27, 2011 in Alabama - Weather Data, Stories, and Content from a Day Alabama will Never Forget.
04272011-noaa.hub.arcgis.com
looney2ns
IPCT Contributor
This one passed within 0.5 miles from my house.
StevenFromTexas
Getting comfortable
Tornado alley has mostly left West Texas over the last few decades and shifted to the east. Twisters are terrifying.
Flintstone61
Known around here
2nd Day of kindergarten in Arlington Heights IL. I was being walked home by my older sister who stopped too damn long and was having Social hour with some other kids, but I just wanted to go home....
I took a wrong turn and got lost. Then about an hour later the Sky got dark and things looked stormy (later I found out there was a Tornado Warning)...anyway I was getting hit with rain, hail, wind, and leaves that were blowing off trees,
So I ran to a porch where a lady was waving from the Window of her house. Being stubbornly determined to find my way, I took off when the weather abated, but she had already called the cops who found me just as I located the Nike Missile base property across from our Apt's. ( Nike Base C-80, now a golf course)and could see my apartments what seem to be a 1/2 mile or so away.
I was apparently lost for 3.5 hours.
As I recall it only seems like an hour or so.
I don't know where the time went. ( perhaps an alien abduction into a Saucer)
I took a wrong turn and got lost. Then about an hour later the Sky got dark and things looked stormy (later I found out there was a Tornado Warning)...anyway I was getting hit with rain, hail, wind, and leaves that were blowing off trees,
So I ran to a porch where a lady was waving from the Window of her house. Being stubbornly determined to find my way, I took off when the weather abated, but she had already called the cops who found me just as I located the Nike Missile base property across from our Apt's. ( Nike Base C-80, now a golf course)and could see my apartments what seem to be a 1/2 mile or so away.
I was apparently lost for 3.5 hours.
As I recall it only seems like an hour or so.
I don't know where the time went. ( perhaps an alien abduction into a Saucer)
Flintstone61
Known around here
Here is an extremely well mounted security cam. Mine would likely not survive this.