In 1887 the word “tornado” was banned from all weather forecasts by the Army Signal Corps. The reasoning being that the lack of knowledge on tornadoes and their formation was causing too much mass panic when the word was spoken to the public. Unfortunately, the failure to issue an actual tornado warning contributed to the numerous deaths and injuries that occurred during the most fatal tornado in history – the tri-state tornado of 1925.
Once meteorologists found an accurate way to predict tornadoes, the ban was lifted. On March 25, 1952, two officers at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma issued the first tornado forecast. We are so blessed that we live in a time when tornado warnings are not only issued but usually given in enough time to seek shelter. The best place to seek shelter from a tornado is in a safe room that has been verified to withstand an EF-5 by the National Storm Shelter Association, like ours at Tornado Alley Armor.
Have questions? Let us help. Give us a call at 918-518-1551.