Heading for low ground

On March 11, a Perry County couple made one mistake.

With a tornado bearing down on them in St. Mary, Mo., Michael and Barbara Schaefer attempted to outrun the funnel. The decision proved fatal, as the twister slammed their truck under a propane tank, killing both instantly.

In Southeast Missouri, where tornado watches and warnings are common this time of year, drivers on the road and residents living in mobile homes or similar structures are being told something that may sound unorthodox.

Weather experts advise against attempting to outrun a tornado, stating it is too hard to predict which way it will turn. They also advise residents of mobile homes not to stay in their structures, which lack a fortified basement many permanent houses have that can withstand such a storm.

Instead, they suggest it is safer to lie down in a ditch and wait for the debris to stop flying.

"If it's not underground, I wouldn't want to be there," said David Hitt, coordinator for Cape Girardeau County Emergency Operations. "If you stay in a structure, you're going to go with the structure."

According to the National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Packett, wind speeds can be between five and 20 mph near ground level. Five to 10 feet high, the speeds increase to about 100 mph, and go up to 200 mph at 20 feet from the ground, according to Packett.

While residents going outside do put themselves at risk of flying debris, staying in a ditch increases the odds of any debris passing over.

"It's your best shot," Packett said.

He stressed if residents go into a ditch, they should be 100 to 200 feet away from any structure to reduce the chance of being struck. The most time someone would have to lay in a ditch is about a minute as the tornado passes over, he said.

Despite requirements of mobile homes to be anchored to either the ground or a concrete slab, Hitt said the fastening was a "security blanket" that does not provide the needed protection.

"They just don't have the structural integrity to withstand those kinds of winds," he said.

So far this year, 10 tornado-related deaths have been reported across the United States. Three of the deaths were of those staying in a mobile home, five were in a permanent home and two were in a vehicle, according to the National Weather Service Web site.

In 2005, there were 39 tornado-related deaths, 34 of which occurred when the victim was in a mobile home, the Web site stated.

Even some mobile home manufacturers advise taking up precautions against a storm.

"If you've got time to evacuate, yes, do it," said John Stroup, who provides service and maintenance for D-Mart Homes.

As Hitt noted, Stroup said tornadoes that can tear down a house can certainly do the same to a mobile home. The major difference between the two is a mobile home does not have a basement to hide in.

Hitt said the National Weather Service highly recommends mobile home residents to designate a safe place to retreat to.

He suggested those in homes without a basement, like mobile home residents, should keep a watchful eye and ear on television and radio reports in severe weather and have a plan on what to do and where to go when a tornado in their area is possible.

When the National Weather Service calls for a tornado watch, conditions for the formation of a twister are right and one could appear in about four to five hours, according to Hitt.

When a warning is called, a tornado in the area has been spotted and could touch down in anywhere from one to 20 minutes, he said.

Paying attention to weather reports and leaving a residence on a timely basis could save lives, he said.

Packett suggested tracking the storm. For example, if a family lives in western Cape Girardeau County and a storm warning is called for Bollinger County, they should consider enacting their tornado plan.

Some local mobile home residents take the National Weather Service up on its advice and have a plan in severe weather.

Mike Morgan, 42, a deputy with the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department, has lived in the Route W trailer park outside of Cape Girardeau with his wife and two children for two years and always pays attention to weather reports.

When a tornado watch is called for the area, Morgan and his family packs up and heads to the Cape Girardeau County sheriff's office in Jackson. While his own trailer has never been hit by a twister, Morgan said he would not take the chance.

In the Lamplighter Mobile Home Park, 3020 Boutin Drive, resident Bill McGhee, 51, said he pays attention to weather reports but waits to see how close and in what direction a tornado heads before taking action.

McGhee said the mobile home park was in a small valley and is somewhat protected from tornadoes, which he has seen out his window going away from the area.

"I'm sure I'd go somewhere," he said, if a tornado were bearing down on his home.

Another Lamplighter resident, Don, 21, who declined to provide his last name, said he does not know anyone with a basement, but would feel safer inside his home than in a ditch.

"I'd still take my chances inside rather than outside," he said.

Although the National Weather Service advises against it, Packett suggested riding out the storm in a bathtub if a resident chooses to stay in their mobile home or is physically unable to leave.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127