By JEFFERSON WEAVER
Staff Writer

Tom Matheson of the National Weather Service was stunned when he saw the remains of homes and buildings in Riegelwood last year.

The meteorologist led a team of specialists to the scene within hours of the tornado strike. They were at Acme Delco Elementary School waiting for admission to the strike area when a possible second tornado was reported in the area.

The difference between the two twisters?

The earlier F3 touched down and killed eight people with little warning.

The second storm never touched down, but officials and first responders at Acme-Delco Middle School and the mobile home park had some warning.

After the first tornado hit, many emergency personnel tuned their personal radios and police scanners to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration weather band. Those at the emergency shelter set up at the school had time and warning to usher people into the school’s hallways and other safe places, while people at the scene headed for ditches and other low spots.

“There was a period of about eight minutes lead time between the warning alarm and the (first) tornado,” Matheson said. “However, as far as I have been able to tell, nobody in the area had a weather radio. Nobody knew a tornado was coming. A warning is no good if it isn’t received.”

On the day of the storm, the National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for the area at 5 a.m. Weather radios in the watch area automatically alarmed to let people know about the watch. When a warning was issued for the Riegelwood area at 6:29 a.m., radios would have again warned people of the probable impact of the twister. That would have given at least some people time to seek shelter, Matheson said, since the tornado struck at 6:37 a.m., according to radar.

Television and radio broadcasts issued the early morning storm warning, but most people were either still asleep or weren’t watching or listening to the early morning news shows.

Prices for weather radios have come down in recent years – basic, no-frills models can be purchased for less than $30, as opposed to the $100 common a decade ago – but most people still don’t have one at home.

“Weather radios are a cheap form of life insurance.” Matheson explained. “If we can learn anything from this event that might save lives...have a weather radio just like you have a smoke alarm. Plug it in and put it on your refrigerator, and when the National Weather Service issues a warning, your radio will automatically alarm, wake you up...and it might save your life.

“No education comes cheaply,” Matheson said. “The best we can do from this is learn, so we are better prepared the next time. Are we any better prepared? I hope so.”