In Harms Way ?

[Pileus]

I work for a large Railroad company and 100% of my work is performed outside in all types
of weather. Today our area (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Cnty) was put under a tornado warning from 1130am until 1230pm. This warning was not relayed to ground employees during this time
because officials said that the affected area was 10 miles SE of our location. The culprit was a
north end book end vortex within a squall line. My argument with officials is that even though
radar painted the location SE of us, our entire location was still under a Tor warning. This is not the first time severe WX info has been kept from us. Any responses ??

[brunota2003]

Well, I know somewhat how you feel. Our high school does the same thing. There was a tornado warning about 10 miles off to our west, in the same county, and they didn't even mention it. I found out because my mother texted me, but didnt read that until well after the warning expired.

If warnings are that close, I personally think people should be notified, because of a few facts:

1. Who says that is the only spot where a tornado forms, or that the storm doesn't shift it's track some?

2. Other cells nearby may become capable of producing tornadoes, which then could hit the location you are at.

3. Storms produce other types of hazards, too. Flooding, lightning, hail, and strong damaging winds are also associated with storms. Lightning can strike up to 15 miles away from the parent cell, and gust fronts are commonly known to produce strong winds away from the storms, which could damage property or injure work crews. Same goes for hail. Flooding and flash flooding present a real threat, both where the storm is located and downstream of it.

[bvigal]

Pileus,
If you were in an area the area included in the tornado warning (versus nearby), your employer should have let you know. A warning means to take cover, not to look at radar or the sky and decide whether or not it's necessary. Your company management doesn't issue weather warnings, the experts at NWS do, because they ARE the best judge of the danger. If it were me working outside all the time, I'd invest in one of those very small weather radios to get the warnings myself. They are under $40 and can save a life!