My first tornado siren

[la2lvtom]

So I visit Kings Island today, Friday May 21st, I arrive at 4:30 p.m. (I spent the morning at Holiday World) so I go to Festhaus to grab a bite and when I get out of there I noticed all the rides in the area were shut down so I head over to Drop Tower and I am informed that there is lightning in the area so the rides are shut down temporarily so I wait for a few minutes and then the rain starts I take shelter in the gift shop next to Drop Tower. After an hour of terenchal down pour, along with lightning and thunder, the rain stops so I head over to take a look at Son Of Beast (the sign is even missing) then the sirens start wailing so I ask an employee what the sirens were and they casually inform me it was a tornado siren, well me being from the west coast I ask the obvious stupid question "should I be alarmed?" and was informed "they'll make an anouncement if you need to seek shelter"... hmmm??? I call my pops and ask him to check weather.com and it showed a tornado warning for Mason from mile marker 32 to mile marker 47 (I-71) so I head to The Beast 'cause I figure if I need to take shelter what better place than at The Beast, the sirens eventually stop so I wait in line for The Beast and after 40 minutes or so the announcement comes over the loudspeakers that they are closing the park early (7:30) due to approaching storms. So that is the story of my first Tornado siren, it was a very exciting experience and I had a great time even if I did not get to go on 1 single ride

[Maverickrocks]

I was at the park today too, for my senior physics trip and was taking shelter from the rain in the Diamondback gift shop when I first heard about the tornado warning. The sirens came a few minutes later.

 

Simply put, it was not a good day to be at the park. Between the long lines from all the math and science day visitors and the terrible weather, our trip was verging on disaster.

[nitrofan]

That kind of reminds me of a YouTube video I saw of SFGAm where there is a Tornado Warning and everyone is running around freaking out. The guy filming asked several park employees where to sheek shelter and they all kind of shrugged and were clueless, and one told him to go to Batman's station (like that's going to hold up in a tornado). It's kind of scary that no one knows what to do.

 

I was at SFOG last year during a Tornado Warning, but no one seemed to know about it. The park was empty and we got on a ton of rides. I don't know why they didn't close though.

[PKI Jizzman]

Ehhh there's no way this can compare to when Hurricane Ike hit Kings Island. They evacuated the park when the hurricane ARRIVED. Trees were falling down, light posts were falling down, it was pretty freaky.

 

Too bad Son of Beast didn't get blown over!

 

I'm a few miles south of the park, wonder why we didn't get any sirens...just rained hard for a few mintues and there was a tiny bit of pea sized hail.

[christianscoasters]

I love storms Living in Kansas, we get storms all the time.

The tornado sirens for us means nothing more than just going out on your front porch and enjoying the show. Seriously. We're always in a tornado warning, but there's never a tornado :/ Now, a couple weeks ago, there was a tornado two miles from my dad's house. He lives in an hour away from me. He said that it sounded like a freight train and a "whooshing" sound. Cool!

 

I always like it when I'm around people during a storm who AREN'T from the midwest and start freaking out about the sirens going off

[la2lvtom]

Ehhh there's no way this can compare to when Hurricane Ike hit Kings Island. They evacuated the park when the hurricane ARRIVED. Trees were falling down, light posts were falling down, it was pretty freaky.

 

Too bad Son of Beast didn't get blown over!

 

 

 

several years back I went to Orlando the day after a hurricane hit, it was still windy and rainy and most of the area was still without power (Disney was open of course) so I really wouldn't want to be at a park if I knew a hurricane was coming into the area I would just cancel my trip. Although like I said for not getting on any rides it was a fun time at Kings Island.

 

On a side note I asked several employees if they heard any ramblings about the future of Son Of Beast and was told that Son Of Beast does not exist so I asked if they heard its being torn down and I was again it does not exist so I don't know if that was some kind of running joke between the employees since they are not being told what is going on with it. Oh well lets hope for that steel track replacement rumor I keep hearing about.

[Emiroo]

The tornado sirens for us means nothing more than just going out on your front porch and enjoying the show. Seriously. We're always in a tornado warning, but there's never a tornado.

 

Same for Kentucky. We've actually had 2 tornados hit our city in the last 10 years each of which caused moderate damage. However, that's 2 hits for probably 1000 sirens. I found it interesting/comical that someone would find one so exciting. But then again, if I was in Cali and there was an earthquake (even a little one), I probably be pretty excited about it too.

[CPmaverick]

Ehhh there's no way this can compare to when Hurricane Ike hit Kings Island. They evacuated the park when the hurricane ARRIVED. Trees were falling down, light posts were falling down, it was pretty freaky.

I love hurricanes in Ohio.

[zjohn1988]

That kind of reminds me of a YouTube video I saw of SFGAm where there is a Tornado Warning and everyone is running around freaking out. The guy filming asked several park employees where to sheek shelter and they all kind of shrugged and were clueless, and one told him to go to Batman's station (like that's going to hold up in a tornado). It's kind of scary that no one knows what to do.

 

I was at SFOG last year during a Tornado Warning, but no one seemed to know about it. The park was empty and we got on a ton of rides. I don't know why they didn't close though.

 

For legal reasons, employees are not allowed to tell guests their shelter locations. Guests are allowed to follow though as the employees can't really tell people no (also for legal reasons). While I've never experienced a full out tornado, I know SFGam employees are told to go under Loggers Run, Dare Devil Dive, and in the train tunnel. Another location was Space Shuttle America, but that's kind of gone......

[Pingu1651]

I had to laugh at the "SoB doesn't exist" comment. It seems like the park is just as eager as us to get it taken out!

 

Also, I heard a tornado siren a couple miles from CP one time. It was just a storm though. Oddly enough, I saw a commercial for the Maverick when I was inside during the storm.

[DOCTOR DOOM!!!]

^,^^^^^ This is off topic but this kind of behavior from parks is completely inexcusable!!! This is exactly what I thought these @$$holes would try! If SOB doesn't exist, then WTF is that big 200+ ft wooden structure at the front of the park?! Are we all just imagining it?!

 

BGW tried this with Drachen Fire, "Whats going on with Drachen Fire?!", "Whats a Drachen Fire?!" However they could pull it off a little cause it was out of view! At Kings Island, this WOULD work with the original Beast due to the fact one can't see most of it from the main pathway, but the problem there would be the Beast is too world famous! Even the general public who doesn't know any other rollercoaster knows about the Beast!!!

[la2lvtom]

The tornado sirens for us means nothing more than just going out on your front porch and enjoying the show. Seriously. We're always in a tornado warning, but there's never a tornado.

 

Same for Kentucky. We've actually had 2 tornados hit our city in the last 10 years each of which caused moderate damage. However, that's 2 hits for probably 1000 sirens. I found it interesting/comical that someone would find one so exciting. But then again, if I was in Cali and there was an earthquake (even a little one), I probably be pretty excited about it too.

 

 

Growing up in California I've been in my fair share of quakes and yea they are no big deal now but many people are terrified of them out there, I was working in an office building downtown L.A. on the 17th floor when a 5.7 hit, thats actually fun 'cause the buildings are on rollers in downtown instead of shaking the building rolls back and forth now thats a once in a lifetime experience.

[Dailey Enterprizes]

While tornadoes are a rarity in Southwestern Pennsylvania they can be deadlier than ones in tornado alley. Reason being that it's misconceived that tornadoes can't form around mountains, cities, rivers, and cliffs...

 

 

Of course, tornadoes can form anywhere. They occur often in tornado alley because of the cold air from the Rockies colliding with the hot air from the Gulf of Mexico.

[KDCOASTERFAN]

I was at the park today too, for my senior physics trip and was taking shelter from the rain in the Diamondback gift shop when I first heard about the tornado warning. The sirens came a few minutes later.

 

Simply put, it was not a good day to be at the park. Between the long lines from all the math and science day visitors and the terrible weather, our trip was verging on disaster.

 

Reminds me of a KD trip last season in which it started pouring for about 3 to 5 hours straight after getting on just one ride,at least there weren't any tornadoes fortunately but it took forever for that storm to pass & rides to reopen.

[christianscoasters]

Growing up in California I've been in my fair share of quakes and yea they are no big deal now but many people are terrified of them out there, I was working in an office building downtown L.A. on the 17th floor when a 5.7 hit, thats actually fun 'cause the buildings are on rollers in downtown instead of shaking the building rolls back and forth now thats a once in a lifetime experience.

 

I know I would definitely find a quake fun if I knew that I was safe. Like, if I'm in a room with stuff on the walls and what not and an 8.5 hits, then obviously, I might wanna get out of there. Lol. But if it was just some minor shaking, it would be cool. Now, IDK if I'd ever want to be on the 17th floor of a building during an earthquake. THAT would be too much for me. Haha.

[angryemobeaver]

I was at Kings Island that day, pissed me off. We drove about 2 hours to KI, and waited 4 hours for Diamondback (including after the ride closed and we waited in the storm). We didn't end up riding Diamondback OR anything else at all. Supposedly the reason they closed the park early is because of all the schools since they were leaving. Makes me really mad because after the park closed, the weather cleared up and was pretty sunny and no rain at all. Oh well, I had tons of fun at La Rosas with some friends from KICentral, and than Holiday World the next day.

[Columbia]

I had a very similar experience in 2008. I flew in from beautiful San Jose, CA to Columbus, and drove down to KI.

 

Weather was just great until a bout a mile out of the park, then I hit the micro-bust and all weather hell broke loose.

 

Lightning everywhere, gale force winds and torrential downpour. When I got to the hotel, they casually told me that they were under a Tornado Warning (one has been sighted) and said the best thing to do was get the mattress in my room and cover myself in the tub with it.

 

"Welcome to the Midwest."

 

Had the same experience a few days later up in Gurnee, IL. It was the year that the worst weather trough EVER never left the Midwest and flooded a great deal of it.

 

I'll take earthquakes on the Calaveras and Hayward fault's behind the house ANYDAY!

[jamesdillaman]

Just because a siren goes off doesn't necessarily mean there's a tornado warning. If there is a severe thunder storm warning during a tornado watch, the sirens will go off, even if no tornado has been spotted. Just FYI.

[CPmaverick]

^That's not what happens in Columbus. The sirens will only go off if a tornado has been spotted or is indicated by radar, which will also cause a tornado warning to be issued.

[ryerson]

When we were at KI last year in May, it was shut down early because of a tornado. They kept everyone in the giftshops away from the windows. Tornados hit both east and west of the park. It was pretty crazy.

[teebone]

^^^I know Hamilton County does that but since we moved to Butler County the sirens are now only during a tornado warning.You would think this would be a uniform rule across Ohio so people don't get confused.

[jamesdillaman]

Warren County only sets off the sirens for a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service, or a confirmed sighting of a funnel cloud. However, Hamilton county sets off the sirens when there is a Severe Storm Warning during a tornado watch, or if there is a tornado warning. Kings Island is at the border of Warren County, Butler County, and Hamilton County. I don't know Butler's procedures, but it's always a good idea to seek shelter and weather information if you hear warning sirens, no matter what county you happen to be in.

[CPmaverick]

One funny thing I have noticed with most sirens (especially in Franklin and Delaware counties) that they always work during regular tests on Wednesdays, but never seem to work when needed. I think it was last year when a tornado warning was issued, the sirens stayed on too long and almost half of them in Columbus had blown out speakers.

[Kingsislandfreak]

I live in Maryland where every year we have at least one tornado and, there was a time where I was at six flags america when a tornado warning was hit(no sirens) and they evacuated the park it seemed the actual tornado hit montgomery county

[la2lvtom]

Just because a siren goes off doesn't necessarily mean there's a tornado warning. If there is a severe thunder storm warning during a tornado watch, the sirens will go off, even if no tornado has been spotted. Just FYI.

 

 

Actually when they closed the park at 7:30 I went back to the room (I was staying at the Super 8 across the I-71 from the park) and turned on the T.V. and the local channels where all doing live weather and apparently a tornado touched down in a field a few miles from the park but not being from the area I could not tell on their map exactly where it did