Here we come!!!

Twilight · Post by **Twilight** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 4:34 pm

Hey, thank you to everyone who helped me w/my house hunting. I found a great house in the Aksarben neighborhood and we close on April 28th. Yay!! I can't wait to be there and I had a great visit (my 3-yr-old LOVED the snow). See you soon!

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 4:36 pm

glad to hear it! and welcome to the neighborhood!

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 4:43 pm

Just in time for spring! You'll love it I'm sure. If we ever get the forum meet moving ahead, maybe you could make it and meet everyone.

Post by **Coyote** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 4:48 pm

Congratulations Twilight! Welcome to Omaha!

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 5:01 pm

Congratulations! Aksarben is a nice neighborhood (who's 'stock' could really go up if Aksarben Village is really as good as it promises to be).

Twilight · Post by **Twilight** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 5:58 pm

What's Aksarben Village?

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 6:12 pm

Aksarben villiage is the new development planned for the LARGE (now vacant) lot once occupied by Aksarben colliseum, which sits just west of the aksarben neighborhood (hence the name). It is approximately located from 63rd to 67th streets and between center and pine. It is being remodeled into an urban mixed use development, complete with new apartments, retail, offices, and entertainment businesses. If you dont mind, Twilight, where about is your new house located? If you are moving into this neighborhood, there is no way you could miss this property. Check out the development page here http://eomaha.com/gallery/develop/145/ and the discussion about it here http://eomaha.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1956. It is really quite the exciting development, and has the possibilities to completely revitalize the area, as well as send land value up and up!

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 8:54 pm

Glad to hear the good news! Maybe we’ll see you around some time.

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:07 pm

Good to hear Twilight. Welcome to Omaha, Nebraska. By the way, Aksarben was most famous for the its horse track that occupied that land for years and Aksarben is Nebraska spelled backwards!

AlmostinOmaha · Post by **AlmostinOmaha** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:12 pm

Welcome fellow Californian - you're coming right in time for warm weather and tornados! Make sure you have a tornado kit set up before your arrival....Weather radio (you can get one that will wake you up in the middle of the night if there's a warning), bottled water, flashlight, snacks, whistle, blanket and pillows to put over you, entertainment for the kids, etc...Put it all in a windowless room as soon as you get here. Ours is all in our laundry room. The first and only tornado warning I've ever experienced scared the heck out of me! Good luck with the move.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:40 pm

That’s pretty good for a newbie, you should work for the NWS.

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:46 pm

Come on you scaremonger - did you give advice to new Californians to have their earthquake-kit ready upon arrival??

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 5:50 pm

Speaking of bad weather, it supposed to be another tornadic weather evening tomorrow. OH my!

AlmostinOmaha · Post by **AlmostinOmaha** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 6:51 pm

No...no one in California has an earthquake preparedness kit! But we all probably should've!

I didn't mean to be a scaremonger...just practical. I met someone from San Diego the other day who just moved here and didn't even know it was tornado season...I couldn't believe she didn't know...that's one of the first things I thought about when we talked about moving here- I guess I'm a scaredy cat!

Finn · Post by **Finn** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:44 pm

I'm just kiddin', it's good to be knowledgable about your surroundings. It just doesn't faze us much. The first time I took my girlfriend back to Omaha there were tornado warnings, it started to hail and it got darker - she was ready to run for the basement! Actually, the spring there is something that I miss alot. It could be a nice morning, then a shower rolls through and 30 minutes later it is sunny out again but the light refracting through the remnants of the system is beautiful!

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:26 pm

I’ll get my tornado kit out, its right next to my duck-tape and plastic for the windows.

Minneapolis Boy · Post by **Minneapolis Boy** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 8:28 pm

Yeah, Finn, I think that's cool as well.

AlmostinOmaha · Post by **AlmostinOmaha** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:21 pm

Yes, I do enjoy it after the scary part is gone. Do I need plastic? SHould I be taping it on when there's a tornado watch in preparation for the tornado warning? I actually thought about this, but then figured I was overreacting.

omahastylee459 · Post by **omahastylee459** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:31 pm

AlmostinOmaha wrote:Yes, I do enjoy it after the scary part is gone. Do I need plastic? SHould I be taping it on when there's a tornado watch in preparation for the tornado warning? I actually thought about this, but then figured I was overreacting.

good lord no, haha. Plastic on the windows would be useless in high winds. I wouldnt get too bent out of shape about severe weather. I think for people who have grown up here, including myself, we look forward to this time of year. Severe thunderstorms are amazing to watch. And although I am not discounting that it could happen, tornadoes rarely hit the city.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:35 pm

I think MTO is more worried about terrorists and biological weapons (hence the plastic and duct tape to seal the windows), not tornados.

edit: That was my 911 post. That weird huh?

Big E · Post by **Big E** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:02 pm

If you open your garage door, grab a beer, and watch the storm when the tornado siren goes off...

...you might be a Nebraskan.

But seriously, when a tornado decides to take out your house - it WILL take it. In the meantime, play the odds and don't worry about it too much.

-Big E

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 10:12 pm

AlmostinOmaha, you definitely want to watch some of these storms as they come in (garage, yep... that's a good vantage point)... they present some of the most interesting and unusual displays of nature.

Keep a radio in hand... and if things don't look right, you'll know it... and you can head to the basement.

All this said... and as has BEEN said... your odds of becoming a storm victim, much less seeing a funnel... are very rare.

Relax.

TitosBuritoBarn · Post by **TitosBuritoBarn** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:25 am

AlmostinOmaha wrote:Welcome fellow Californian - you're coming right in time for warm weather and tornados! Make sure you have a tornado kit set up before your arrival....Weather radio (you can get one that will wake you up in the middle of the night if there's a warning), bottled water, flashlight, snacks, whistle, blanket and pillows to put over you, entertainment for the kids, etc...Put it all in a windowless room as soon as you get here. Ours is all in our laundry room. The first and only tornado warning I've ever experienced scared the heck out of me! Good luck with the move.

...they sell tornado kits?

Heh, the last time there was a tornado warning I was trying to take a nap in my fifth floor dorm room. I decided the odds were in my favor and stayed there. Not that I endorse this behavior...heh...apparently a tornado touched down several miles from my place.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:27 am

And don’t believe a scene from the movie Twister too much BS.

Post by **Coyote** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:33 am

The alarms went off the other day.
I am sitting in my office thinking "Oh, they are still testing the sirens"
No Problema. Back to business at hand.

I get into my car a few hours later to go home, turn on 1620 - its not there.
Hmmmm. Clouds are dark - maybe I am just not picking it up in Blair.

I just found out today that there was also a tornado in Ft Calhoun.
Oh well. All Alarms sound the same.

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:34 am

You can usually here sirens from neighboring towns. It can be very deceptive but a heads up nonetheless.

Post by **Coyote** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:41 am

MTO wrote:You can usually here sirens from neighboring towns. It can be very deceptive but a heads up nonetheless.

I was also told today - that there is a difference in Fire Sirens, Emergency Sirens, Test Sirens... in smaller towns - in sound, pitch, frequency... We only had one siren growing up in Omaha - Test siren was 10 am on Saturday and no such thing as Fire or Emergency sirens. Here in Washington County....

lisanstan · Post by **lisanstan** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 10:09 pm

All I can say is "Thank God for basements!" The first spring after we moved into our last house in Texas, we got hit by debris after a big storm. Never was determined if it was a tornado or straight line winds. Trampolines are not your friend in tornado country. Five windows and a new roof later we were hit again. This time the neighbor's fence took out our garage door. Huddling in the closet sucks. Much prefer the basement where I have a toilet!

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 10:11 pm

I don't understand why any home in 'tornado alley' would be built without some kind of underground shelter... whether it be specifically a storm shelter or a basement.

Twilight · Post by **Twilight** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 1:40 am

So, getting a weather radio sounds like a good idea; does anyone suggest a certain brand/model and is there a "best" place to buy them?

Post by **Coyote** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 1:53 am

All the Hy-Vee's have one on sale right now.

adam186 · Post by **adam186** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:56 am

Those flashlight radios are pretty nifty. My parents won one from KETV a long time. I don't know where they have it now and never really used it. But just in case.

AlmostinOmaha · Post by **AlmostinOmaha** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:43 am

We have 2!
My mom got us one from LL Bean for Christmas. It has a flashlight/cell phone charger/NOAA radio, etc. Haven't used it yet.

We also bought one at the Nebraska Furniture Mart for around $40...It's a portable NOAA radio that you can clip to your belt, it has S.A.M.E. technology (which a meterolgist told me you want). It will alert you anytime there is a warning in your county....even in the middle of the night while you're sleeping. So far works well!

I didn't do any research before buying these...so I don't know what brands are best...

icejammer · Post by **icejammer** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:43 am

jhuston wrote:I don't understand why any home in 'tornado alley' would be built without some kind of underground shelter... whether it be specifically a storm shelter or a basement.

Shallow groundwater depths....

DTO Luv · Post by **DTO Luv** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 5:00 pm

It's kind of funny seeing outsiders reactions to tornados. I don't even worry about them. During the one we had last week Thursday I left our safety spot in the basement. I didn't feel like being there until after work so I left early. Plus I don't think a tornado is going to hit Midtown anyways.

eomaha · Post by **eomaha** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 11:38 pm

I don't even worry about them. During the one we had last week Thursday I left our safety spot

You don't worry about them, but at some point found your way to your 'safety spot'.

I wouldn't worry much about them either, but don't ever think that a tornado isn't capable of hitting Midtown. The 'heat island' impunity theory is total bunk.

Twilight · Post by **Twilight** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 12:15 am

Well, when was the last time a tornado hit midtown and did significant damage?

Post by **Coyote** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 12:21 am

Twilight wrote:Well, when was the last time a tornado hit midtown and did significant damage?

The 1975 tornado. Omaha Tornado of 1975

Before that the 1913 tornado Omaha Easter Sunday Tornado (1913)

MTO · Post by **MTO** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 12:23 am

Coyote wrote:
Twilight wrote:Well, when was the last time a tornado hit midtown and did significant damage?
The 1975 tornado.

I thought that hit Ralston?

Post by **Coyote** » Sun Apr 09, 2006 12:24 am

It tore the roof off off Creighton Prep.
I think it started near where La Casa West is now.