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50-100 Amazon workers trapped in distribution center after tornado in Illinois (1 Viewer)

Hoping everyone is ok.  Sad...so many dead in Kentucky and likely more.

We were woken up just East of Nashville just after 3 with warnings.  Mostly high winds for us...though, possible tornadoes just north of here that continued on east.

78 mph gusts at the Nashville airport...3rd highest on record.  Patio furniture (which is pretty darn heavy...blew a few  yards away...some of the soffits look  bit messed up on the back of our home.  Will have someone out to check the roof in the next few days as well.  Trampoline anchors worked though...I know several near here lost theirs.  But that stuff is trivial continue to the other damage and lives lost.

 
Looking at reed timmers feed from last night it's historic.   It's been in the 70s and 80s here in Dallas the last few days. That type of heat is going to stir things up.  

At one point a 2000 mile band was visible on ir.   Insane.  

Another event like this is forecast this time next week. Low % chance than this one but yeah.  

 
Oh man, that's awful. First thing I thought of was that Joplin tornado.

Prayers for those families.

 
ChiefD said:
Oh man, that's awful. First thing I thought of was that Joplin tornado.

Prayers for those families.
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As a guy who lives just outside Joplin and lost an aunt in that one, that was my first thought also. Prayers for those in Kentucky and Illinois.It’s going to be a long hard road to recovery.

 
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I worked one summer just east of here at Land Between the Lakes. Remember very little about the towns around there (other than the county we lived in was “dry” at the time) this many deaths is unimaginable to me for such a small town. 

All this stuff can be rebuilt, wishing the best to everyone there. Good luck and Godspeed. 

 
joffer said:
just awful. his the Red Cross the best way to donate?  Or is there something more local?
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Probably as good as any unless you liok up some of the local ones in need in areas like Mayfield and Bowling Green (seem to be the two areas Ive seen more of…). Bowling Green Im probably seeing more of in my social media due to the proximity to Nashville and the number of people I know who went to Western Kentucky University.

 
cap'n grunge said:
Just awful. I didn't even realize this type of severe weather was even possible this late in the year. Climate change?
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 Weather in the St Louis area is always a bit schizo.  It was frigid cold earlier this week, and then it was close to 70 here yesterday. 

Just an awful, awful tragedy, with all of these deaths due to these tornadoes.  Mother Nature is a heartless wench. 

 
cap'n grunge said:
Just awful. I didn't even realize this type of severe weather was even possible this late in the year. Climate change?
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Cluster tornados were a very rare event even 20 years ago, let alone east of Topeka.  

The pattern of tornados used to be in an alley thru Kansas/nebraska (Think wizard of oz)

That pattern is shifting East, which wouldn't be a huge big deal except what's east of the alley is far more populated.  

 
Expecting close to record high temps, thunderstorms, wind gusts from 55 to 75 and possible tornadoes tomorrow.  :(  

I work from home on Wednesdays so don't have to drive in it, but damn it could be rough in some areas tomorrow. 

 
Cjw_55106 said:
I dont think the two are the same. From the sounds of it (I could be wrong), Amazon was actually trying to protect the workers while the candle company wouldn't let people clock out early. 
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Oops, I just saw the link and didn't read it. I was coming to post about the candle factory. My fault.

 
Cjw_55106 said:
I dont think the two are the same. From the sounds of it (I could be wrong), Amazon was actually trying to protect the workers while the candle company wouldn't let people clock out early. 
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Not following this much but wereTornado warnings issued? From my years of living in Kansas Tornado warnings are issued so that people can take shelter immediately, not get into your cars and drive somewhere else.

 
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Mile High said:
Not following this much but wereTornado warnings issued? From my years of living in Kansas Tornado warnings are issued so that people can take shelter immediately, not get into your cars and drive somewhere else.
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Apparently sirens were heard shortly after 8 PM. The tornado struck the building at 8:27

 
Mile High said:
Why. After a Tornado warnings is issued and sirens go off you are supposed to take shelter immediately not get into your cars and drive somewhere else.
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Yeah.

I know for our company here, if I had techs (or anyone else) at this building when the tornado sirens went off, we'd be hunkering down until the tornado passed. We are in a fully concrete building. 

They would be safer here than if I put them on the road during a tornado. That would not be smart. 

 
Bracie Smathers said:
I hope they burn.
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For a Tornado hitting their buildings? So you think it's better to just get in your car and drive off somewhere while a tornado is on the ground riping through the country side? Why shelter at all anywhere then. Just leave where you're at and run for the hills.

 
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Bracie Smathers said:
I hope they burn.
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Have you ever been in a tornado? The absolute last thing you want to do is get in your car and drive around. 

You shelter and hope and pray the tornado spares you. They are extremely unpredictable obviously. From everything I've read Amazon tried to get people to the buildings shelter. 

I also know that in tornados people will go outside and either try to film it or see it. In no way am I suggesting any of these people did that. But I've lived in Kansas long enough to know that when those sirens go off I can go outside my front door and half a dozen people will be standing outside looking at the sky. 

 
Mile High said:
For a Tornado hitting their buildings? So you think it's better to just get in your car and drive off somewhere while a tornado is on the ground riping through the country side?
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I hope they burn.

“We heard the tornado didn’t touch down until 8:39 so he had 20 minutes to get home,” she said.

... Virden, who had worked for Amazon for five months, was the father of four children, including adopted children, and the couple of 13 years had three children together between the ages of 9 and 12.

Virden was an US Army veteran who served in Iraq.

ChiefD said:
Have you ever been in a tornado? The absolute last thing you want to do is get in your car and drive around. 
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Been in a couple. Years before Doppler you had no warning and no chance.  

With Doppler a few years ago in Colorado a tornado wiped out the town next to ours but I had enough warning and no one was threatening me with termination to stay in a 1.1 million-square-foot facility knowing an F4 was in our path.   Not sure if you've been in an expansive facility when a huge event hits.  I HAVE.

I was in a large department store in Portland Oregon in the mid 90s working when it got hit by a 5.7 earthquake.  The second it hit everyone looked up at the roof because instinctively we all knew that was the threat.  The roof collapsing.  

Experts explain why warehouse style buildings aren’t the safest place to be during a tornado

You don't want to be in a vehicle but you don't want to be in a warehouse.  They had time to get away but were prevented.

I hope they burn.

 
Bracie Smathers said:
I hope they burn.

Been in a couple. Years before Doppler you had no warning and no chance.  

With Doppler a few years ago in Colorado a tornado wiped out the town next to ours but I had enough warning and no one was threatening me with termination to stay in a 1.1 million-square-foot facility knowing an F4 was in our path.   Not sure if you've been in an expansive facility when a huge event hits.  I HAVE.

I was in a large department store in Portland Oregon in the mid 90s working when it got hit by a 5.7 earthquake.  The second it hit everyone looked up at the roof because instinctively we all knew that was the threat.  The roof collapsing.  

Experts explain why warehouse style buildings aren’t the safest place to be during a tornado

You don't want to be in a vehicle but you don't want to be in a warehouse.  They had time to get away but were prevented.

I hope they burn.
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Out of curiosity, where were they going to go that would be safer than either a ditch or a structure with at least some anchoring to the ground? Let’s break this down: storms capable of producing tornadoes are in the area. It’s dark, meaning that if something does form, anyone outside probably won’t see it, which is a huge problem. I’m willing to bet very few of these people would A) know how to read a radar map, much less interpret it; B) respond quickly and correctly to the information gathered in step A. There’s also the fact that more people on the roadway during a storm are a hazard, especially since tornadoes give off little warning. Furthermore, tornadoes have a relatively small damage path, so in many cases, it’s better to stay put, because if you’re stationary, there’s less chance of moving into the path of a tornado.
 

Given that information, I’m not sure we can just fault Amazon or the candle factory for attempting to make the right judgment call here. Imagine if they release everyone from that Illinois center, and the tornado is 5 minutes away. How awful would they look after that fiasco? Even 15 minutes probably isn’t enough time. Larry, the guy in that NY Post story, would have had a 20 mile trip on surface streets in dark and stormy weather, and that’s a 20+ minute trip unless he’s speeding. If he gets caught in the tornado, that’s a much worse look for the company! There’s a video on youtube of a tornado in Texas picking up semi trailers and flinging them as if they were toys, thankfully they didn’t have anyone in them. The warehouse was a bad idea, but releasing them would have been worse.

 
I'm sure Amazon has a policy that directs them to keep employees in the building if dangerous weather is in the area.  The same as any other company that has weather-related policies.  I know some companies have policies that would direct them to also keep customers in the building.  Now, I doubt they would physically restrain a customer that wanted to leave, but they are directed to keep people inside.

My mom and sister got stuck in a McDonalds when a tornado was in the area.  They locked the doors and took everyone back to storage rooms and offices. 

I thought I read that the candle factory was requiring employees to keep working on the line during the storm or face termination.  That is a different story, but maybe that has been debunked.

 
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Bracie Smathers said:
I hope they burn.

Been in a couple. Years before Doppler you had no warning and no chance.  

With Doppler a few years ago in Colorado a tornado wiped out the town next to ours but I had enough warning and no one was threatening me with termination to stay in a 1.1 million-square-foot facility knowing an F4 was in our path.   Not sure if you've been in an expansive facility when a huge event hits.  I HAVE.

I was in a large department store in Portland Oregon in the mid 90s working when it got hit by a 5.7 earthquake.  The second it hit everyone looked up at the roof because instinctively we all knew that was the threat.  The roof collapsing.  

Experts explain why warehouse style buildings aren’t the safest place to be during a tornado

You don't want to be in a vehicle but you don't want to be in a warehouse.  They had time to get away but were prevented.

I hope they burn.
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No sirens going off here at 3:15-3:30ish that night.  All news sources including NashWX on twitter (which is a fantastic weather soruce here in Davidson Co and WIlliamson Co)...none of them talked about even rotation in this side of town.  It was north of here they were talking about tornadoes.  Guess what...2 touched down near here they find out after surveys done.  What those news sources and weather sources did say...and why we were down huddled in our bathroom...is to take shelter anywhere near these storms.  Because despite great radar and better technonolgy...these thins can spin up anywhere.  Its not s precise as...hey its on this street and this street only.  And there is lag time between when they are seeing it and when it happens and when it gets reported.   So this claim that they had 20 minutes to get somewhere is just off IMO.  Yes...warehouse parts are not safe...they had shelter areas that were not just warehouse.  They should have more safe spots no doubt.  Hope they burn for keeping people inside...if its when sirens are already going off...no no no.

 
Some need big daddy to tell them what to do in situations including when their life is on the line in an emergency. 

I give most people credit that they have good intentions but nah a company has no right to threaten people with termination if they wanted to leave.  That is not about keeping people safe, that is about control.  If it were about safety then saw the results of the failed policy.  They should burn.

I trust my own instincts in an emergency situation.  Instincts have saved me more than a few times.   

 
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