Tornados on the ground-Tennessee! Idiots are closing schools.

[Wcross]

We have a line of storms coming in and there are confirmed tornados on the ground. They closed the schools early due to the storms. Why would you not let the kids ride out the storm in the school? Now they will be going home to mobile homes and less sturdy structures. They will also probably be left on their own until an adult can get home. If one child is harmed due to this I hope the parents sue the crap out of the school district.

[Shell Beau]

1. Same here in Mississippi! Lots of schools closed!

No tornadoes yet!

[Texasgal]

2. Are you serious?

I've never heard of mass schools closing due to tornadies! WTF?

And, we're in Tornado alley!

[Midlodemocrat]

3. Me neither. Here they lock the schools down and put the kids

in severe weather position. Facing wall, head down, hands on head. If you are a parent, you are welcome to go up and sit the storm out at the school, but they won't release your child.

[xmas74]

5. They do exactly the same here.

I've never heard of them closing for the tornado.

In the springtime they will send the "country kids" home if there is flooding along county roads but not for tornadoes.

[Texasgal]

9. Exactly...

We were always drilled that while in school. We did the fire alarm first and then the severe weather drill... JEEZ!!

[Shell Beau]

4. It is crazy! They let out here before the storms were even close!

And personally, I think schools are safer than homes!

[ChoralScholar]

31. When the sirens went off last night,

I was pretty close to taking my wife and son to my classroom at school. It's gotta be way sturdier than my house.

[LeftyMom]

6. I'm guessing liability

They don't want to be legally or financially responsible if any of the kids are injured at school, so they send them home even though the risks may be increased.

Also, hundreds of scared kids and a few dozen adults to manage them is a crowd control nightmare, so sending the kids home to thier families makes more sense from a logistical and emotional health standpoint.

[xmas74]

27. My daughter's school district stated at the first of the year

that it was more of a liability to release them. We live in a rural area so they gave this as a what-if scenario: What if school is dismissed, the children are on the schoolbus on the way home and the sirens sound while they are in the country? What if there is no place for them to take cover? What if they get hurt during this incident?

The school stated that, for insurance and safety reasons, if there is a watch in place the students must be signed out by the parents. If there is a warning, either Tstorm or Tornado, the students must stay at the school until the warning has been lifted. And once the sirens sound, the doors are locked.

[mdmc]

7. yikes

[johnnie]

8. Oh crap

Be safe Wcross.

I hope all the kids get home and stay safe.

[Wcross]

10. I'm not too worried about myself. (I'm an old geezer-42)

I would hate to think some child is going to be sitting in his family home all alone wondering if they are going to die.

[Lars39]

11. Several years back when tornados hit middle TN,

my kids got on the school bus and were about 2 miles down the road when it hit our neighborhood.
Electricity and phones were out. We didn't have a cell phone. We didn't know if the school bus had gotten blown away or what. One of the scariest times of my life.

Right now I'm nervous 'cause my dad's in line for more tornado action in west TN.
He lost almost all his shingles, huge trees and had his campers flipped across the yard from Sunday's storms.

[Wcross]

12. Tornado on the ground in Nashville right now.

Long hollow pike and whites creek pike.

[Lars39]

13. From the wsmv radar map, it looks like I'll be between 2 storms,

unless one goes a little more north.

[Wcross]

14. I wish you well Lars39!

Keep your head down buddy!

I am east of Shelbyville near Normandy lake, nothing here yet.

[Lars39]

21. Thanks, Wcross!

I try to let Lisa van Patton talk me through 'em. :D

[lizziegrace]

15. My brother-in-law

lost family members in the Dyer County TN tornado last week.

Be safe!

[Lars39]

18. My condolences, lizziegrace.

:hug:

[lizziegrace]

22. Thank you

My BIL's family has farmed in Dyer county for generations. That area was just devastated. I went to HS and college in Memphis and never remember a season quite like this one.

:hug:

[KitchenWitch]

16. They do not want to take responsibility if children get injured/killed

in the school buildings. Less likely to get sued if the children are at home.

[Shell Beau]

17. True! But I think school buildings are safer! Well most of them!

A lot of these kids may live in mobile homes which are not the safest places to be in a tornado!

[KitchenWitch]

19. Oh, I agree with you, but the liability insurance people probably

made the policy.

[Shell Beau]

20. Yeah!! Those damn insurance companies!

x(

[Elidor]

23. WPLN Nashville reporting that some schools have locked down

And that parents need to contact the schools to make arrangements to pick up their children. Other schools let out early in advance of the storm.

I'm going to catch the tail end of this shit in an hour or so. Not looking forward to it. My apartment is a converted garage, and might as well be a shoebox in the face of strong winds. Perhaps I can make an impromptu shelter out of the cabinets under my kitchen sink.

[uppityperson]

24. bathtub is a good place to hole up

blankets on top, bathtubs can block wind and debris, especially if you've one of the old ones.

[Elidor]

25. I'm probably going to head back to the office

It's a brick building. I'm tracking storm rotation very closely. There are two strong cells bearing down on me, but they may veer slightly away.

[Wcross]

26. Fatalities reported. Damn.

They are saying multiple fatalities. Ripped the roof off a hospital and did heavy damage to vol-state college. Right now Murfreesboro is getting whacked with what they say is the biggest storm so far today. This area is heavily populated and very few people have basements. (due to the rocky ground)
I have many co-workers and friends in the 'boro. I guess I will make some calls when its all over.

[lizziegrace]

28. Any news??

I have friends who teach at MTSU. :(

[Wcross]

29. Haven't heard any reports from MTSU.

The deaths were in the Nashville area to the north of downtown. I looked at the Murfreesboro traffic cameras and after the storm passed it didn't appear that much damage was done.

[Wcross]

30. 10 reported dead as of 8pm cst.

Tornado warning until 4am cst. I am going to bed tonight with my boots on.

[Radio_Guy]

32. Had to where I went to school

No basements and lots of windows. About the only safe, windowless place at my old school was the gym, and it wasn't big enough to fit us all in comfortably.

[liontamer]

33. what about kids in portable classrooms(trailers)

they'd be safer at home.

Plus in case of an emergency kids will feel safer at home than in a building full of hundreds of other panicked kids.