"The majority of surveyed Joplin residents did not immediately go to shelter upon hearing the initial warning, whether from local warning sirens, television, NWR [NOAA weather radio], or other sources."

— From the National Weather Service’s report on last year’s tornado in Joplin • Detailing how, in severe storm conditions, a big part of safeguarding communities and lives depends on people taking warnings seriously. In one instance, a Joplin resident ignored a slew of warning signals, driving from place to place looking for an open restaurant despite seeing that some were barred against the brewing storm, and hearing tornado warnings throughout town. As a response, the NWS has implementing new, stronger and more frightening vocabulary to be used for high-risk storm alerts, such as “mass devastation,” “complete destruction,” and “not survivable.” We really hope everybody in the Midwest will prioritize their safety over the coming days – authorities anticipate big storms (and likely tornadoes) to roll through Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska later tonight. source (via • follow)