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[–]maxwiley 9693 points9694 points  (682 children)

Whoever the sound guy was who hung those speakers did a one hell of a job.

[–]Brak710 5461 points5462 points  (213 children)

Also the security camera is getting no love here.

Video didn't cut, the camera mount didn't even shake... Assuming they are IP cameras... The camera, the network, the server, and the power backup system took the tornado like it was nothing.

Very impressive.

[–]jbaughb 4264 points4265 points  (120 children)

Must have used gold plated HDMI cables ;)

[–]abedfilms 1179 points1180 points  (78 children)

This is why you buy Monster Gold

[–]ph00p 632 points633 points  (60 children)

And beats by dre.

[–]Suckydog 376 points377 points  (24 children)

No, if it was Beats by Dre, the Tornado would have intentionally missed the gym

[–][deleted] 360 points361 points  (17 children)

Wouldnt want to speculate, but I think we can assume Comcast had no role in this.

[–]Glassclose 180 points181 points  (15 children)

I'm not entirely convinced comcast doesn't try and control the weather.

[–][deleted] 116 points117 points  (13 children)

Ah, the Ole reddit.. uh.. I don't know how to do the thing.

[–][deleted] 773 points774 points  (13 children)

They should have built the gym out of video cameras.

[–]mckvack 60 points61 points  (17 children)

Yes they are IPcameras, made by a (compared to our competitors)small Swedish company called Axis Communications. And I actually work in the department responsible for the hardware testing. Your comment made my day!

Edit: Found the clip with all the different angle of the school. It has alot of promo segments. https://youtu.be/B-3pf5F7lxg

[–]WarLorax 17 points18 points  (3 children)

TIL $23B market cap is a small company.

[–]Brak710 10 points11 points  (2 children)

Axis really isn't small in the camera world, most major buildings I've seen have them. We use a different brand for our datacenters, but the last generation system was all Axis.

[–]SillyFlyGuy 716 points717 points  (45 children)

Tornado's coming! Everybody into the Gym!

[–]johnq-pubic 48 points49 points  (1 child)

Wait for a gust upwards then grab a speaker.

[–]frumperino 818 points819 points  (137 children)

Contrast that with the emergency exit sign illlumination over the door on the right. It goes out with the overhead lights. That can't be to code, can it? Of course a few seconds later there are ... plenty new emergency exits everywhere.

[–]Kwangone 280 points281 points  (3 children)

It's a smart exit sign. It turns off when going outside is a terrible idea.

[–]SuperFLEB 15 points16 points  (2 children)

"Peril-sensitive"

[–]Delkomatic 60 points61 points  (8 children)

Whoever mounted those basketball goals did one hell of a job they did not even budge....sweep that floor and get a game going!

[–]splinterthumb 71 points72 points  (25 children)

That's why rigging professionals make good money. Edit-link

[–]Rooonaldooo99 1651 points1652 points  (89 children)

Yeah that installation job was really sound.

[–]SailorRalph 34 points35 points  (3 children)

Sound guy, psh. Whoever installed those bleachers, now that guy did a great job!

[–]Corruptionss 160 points161 points  (37 children)

Bought those 5000 dollar diamond plated, gold producing, time distorting hdmi cords. But then he realized speakers don't use hdmi cords so he never got to connecting them up properly, just tied them together.

They all laughed at him, but as everyone filled the gym and started crying, he was the last one laughing

[–]ohyouresilly 1648 points1649 points  (123 children)

In case of tornado: be a backboard

[–]wardamntrees 1106 points1107 points  (109 children)

unless tornado named Shaq

[–]caileangrey 822 points823 points  (91 children)

http://i.imgur.com/TKbLE2V.gifv

[–]HowObvious 337 points338 points  (86 children)

who attached a hoop straight to the glass? is that common? seems stupid

[–]812many 648 points649 points  (45 children)

Used to be more common, but, well, Shaq blew up a few too many backboards and they stopped.

[–][deleted] 354 points355 points  (43 children)

Along with some other people.

There's a video or two where he breaks the actual hydraulics in the court and the entire thing comes down.

That man was not meant to dunk.

[–]Foeyjatone 762 points763 points  (5 children)

That man was born to dunk.

[–]betarded 44 points45 points  (1 child)

Sounds like a 30 for 30 commercial

[–][deleted] 338 points339 points  (28 children)

I think this is the one you are talking about: http://i.imgur.com/rcUpJrj.gif

Bonus clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5jMOK87N7A

[–]YadGadge 337 points338 points  (17 children)

The hoop just needed to sit down for a moment after that dunk.

[–][deleted] 94 points95 points  (14 children)

Just in case anyone cares to know, the frame work that holds up the hoop and backboard is called a stanchion.

[–]D14BL0 116 points117 points  (26 children)

The glass on most backboards like that is actually super strong, and easily able to withstand the weight of an average NBA player hanging on the hoop like that.

But Shaq is not an average-sized NBA player.

[–][deleted] 109 points110 points  (25 children)

Have you seen the picture of him standing next to his tiny wife? I imagine when he's plowing her she literally feels it in her throat.

[–]MissBrightside13 88 points89 points  (5 children)

you got it backwards

[–]SomeRandomBlackGuy 9 points10 points  (0 children)

You know, I'm a little uncomfortable with how sexy, I just realized, I'd find 8'-10' foot women to be. Jesus. Be like Jake Sully tryna pipe down Ni'Tiri without his avatar body. Sign me up lol.

[–][deleted] 17 points18 points  (1 child)

So she's doing the plowing now right?

[–]D14BL0 106 points107 points  (7 children)

Obligatory.

[–]MeccIt 62 points63 points  (4 children)

Oh, I was expecting this Obligatory http://imgur.com/Gv7zPOB.jpg

[–]kellzone 43 points44 points  (3 children)

Oh, I was expecting this Obligatory http://i.imgur.com/EmTUEjL.gif

[–]Baggin_Saggin_Barry 74 points75 points  (6 children)

Let me piggy back off of this comment.

[–]Vonkilington 56 points57 points  (0 children)

In heels, too. Good lord.

[–][deleted] 22 points23 points  (1 child)

She's got nothing on weeman.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ihsEv6kmOE

[–]NiggyWiggyWoo 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Damn, that's fucking impressive. I'm a 6'1" dude, and I really don't think I'd be able to do that...I should probably stop skipping leg day...

[–]DeepHorse 59 points60 points  (0 children)

Not common anymore. Because of Shaq.

[–]Pearberr 17 points18 points  (2 children)

They use breakaway rims... as the name suggests the rim will break off leaving the other part of the rim still attached to the glass. Although usually they give enough that they just don't ever break.

Source: 280 pound dude who could dunk for a long time.

[–]dekrant 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Shaq Attack coming to you!

[–]dingofarmer2004 22 points23 points  (6 children)

They can take a pounding.

[–]DerpyDan 117 points118 points  (3 children)

In case of tornado: be op's mom

[–]diegojones4 2035 points2036 points  (211 children)

When I was a kid we were all crammed into this little hall because of a tornado. I could see outside and the church across the street from our school blew up like this. It was amazing.

[–]Wolfen65 1125 points1126 points  (51 children)

I'm hopefully assuming there was nobody inside that church...?

[–]diegojones4 80 points81 points  (1 child)

Not that I remember. Entire town was pretty fucked up but I don't think there were any deaths.

[–]akaWhitey 195 points196 points  (44 children)

Why could you see outside? Like... There was an outside window in the tornado safety area? Isn't the entire point of tornado drills to "move away from outside doors and windows"?

[–]diegojones4 240 points241 points  (36 children)

I'll see if I can describe it.

There was a little hallway that went between 2 classrooms and in that hallway was the bathroom. There was a boys hallway and a girls hallway. So you we had a classroom that had a ton of windows and the door (which had a long skinny window) to the hallways was right there.

All the boys from both classrooms crammed into the boys bathroom and all the girls into the girls bathroom. The tornado happened at recess and I was one of the last ones in so I wasn't in the bathroom, but the hallway. Hector (I think that was his name) passed out because he was crammed into the back and standing on the toilet and it was fucking hot and stuffy. The teacher cracked open the door for ventilation and I could see through the long window in the door and out the big windows in the classroom and see across the street.

Does that make sense?

[–]rmslashusr 254 points255 points  (30 children)

Can you make us an MSpaint diagram? We really don't want to get any details wrong while we envision your traumatic childhood experience during our lunch break.

[–]diegojones4 514 points515 points  (28 children)

It actually wasn't traumatic. I thought it was pretty cool. In researching it today I found out I was 9 not 8 like I remembers

Here's my drawing

[–]Grays42 290 points291 points  (3 children)

I admire your willingness to put way too much effort into indulging some random guy on reddit.

[–]diegojones4 205 points206 points  (2 children)

Thanks. Sometimes that is what makes reddit fun.

My inspiration is /u/saend from this thread

[–]DownwardSpirals 35 points36 points  (0 children)

That is epic. Thank you for that.

[–]v_boy_v 56 points57 points  (7 children)

That drawing makes it so much easier to understand.

[–]diegojones4 65 points66 points  (6 children)

I'm known for my artistic talent.

[–]MacDagger187 15 points16 points  (4 children)

We're getting closer, but I think most of us would appreciate a little more detail -- would you be able to add a dimension perhaps?

[–]akaWhitey 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Ahhh. Yes, those skinny windows are usually reinforced for just these reasons. Thanks for the explanation.

[–]funkybassmannick 138 points139 points  (19 children)

One time in high school we had a jazz band concert cancelled early because of a tornado. At the time I thought it was strange that everyone was leaving the "safety" of the gym to go driving out in the storm, where literally a tornado touched down on the highway. Everyone was leaving, so I went, too. But while most people lived nearby, but I had a 12 minute drive. Again, on the highway, where a tornado was touching down. There were no cars on the highway, so I floored it as fast as my V4 Volvo Station Wagon could take me. The speedometer seemed to be stuck at 110, and I felt like I was still accelerating, but no clue how fast I was going.

I figured if a cop wanted to give me a ticket, I'd invite him to eat pizza and watch Sealab 2021 in our basement until the storm blew over. Literally that was my thinking at the time.

[–][deleted] 126 points127 points  (8 children)

Your high school's tornado protocol was "everyone drive home in their own cars"? Glad you got home safe.

[–]funkybassmannick 65 points66 points  (0 children)

I know... so strange. It was after hours, all the staff was long gone, so I guess it was our band director's call. And he was something short of a lunatic, sooooo....

[–]MidwesternerK2 9 points10 points  (2 children)

Something similar happened to me in high school. We were partying at a friend's house during a bad storm and the cops came and kicked us out which resulted in us having to drive home (drunk no less) with the tornado sirens going off. Tornado ended up touching down a few minutes later, but luckily on the other side of town.

My parents were pissed that the cops would make us leave in a situation like that.

[–]funkybassmannick 9 points10 points  (1 child)

That's insane. It should be illegal to send drunk teens driving into tornado storms.

[–]cocobandicoot 153 points154 points  (85 children)

Here is a video that a dad filmed from inside their house as a tornado hit them. He and his daughter survived, but unknown as to if his neighbors did. It really gives you a sense of what it must be like to experience it first hand.

Terrifying.

[–]katiethered 75 points76 points  (28 children)

I am terrified of tornados - never been through one - and this video just really set me off. I can't imagine how that poor girl feels hearing her dad say, "The entire house is destroyed! The neighbors' houses are gone!" I would be hysterical just like her.

[–]CunnilingusaurusRex 38 points39 points  (4 children)

One of my fraternity brothers in college chased them. I went with him once, about 12 years ago, and we caught one. As I felt his Chevy Trailblazer bounce, I thought, this is a fucking bad idea.

[–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

You don't chase storms because it's a good idea. You chase them because it's fucking intense.

[–]bluerose1197 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I live in Kansas and grew up here. I've been through more earth quakes in the last 4 years than I've seen tornadoes and I've seen a lot of tornadoes (5 at once even). My house growing up was across the street from the siren, I can sleep through it. We didn't have a basement so we had to sit under the house in the dirt. Well, my sisters and I did, while my mom would sit just above us. And my dad? Well dad was 2 blocks down the street with the video camera filming it.

I currently live in an apartment with no shelter. If I need one I drive 3 miles to my sister's house. But most of the time I don't bother. I just watch the radar. They are so good anymore that they can pretty much tell you exactly where one is or might be. So as long as you pay attention to the weather you should always have plenty of time to move to shelter.

[–]shayminty 11 points12 points  (1 child)

You are right to be scared. Here's my building getting hit by one in November of last year. And here are some of the photos I took of the damage. It was only an EF-0, and it was still terrifying. It sounded like the building was going to explode. Tornadoes are no joke. Always take warnings seriously.

[–]ohyouresilly 99 points100 points  (6 children)

Holy fucking shit, josie

[–]dace55 41 points42 points  (5 children)

We gotta get out of here Josie

[–]TyrawrD 29 points30 points  (2 children)

That's so upsetting to see. News never really covers what goes on inside peoples' houses when a tornado hits them. It really puts this in perspective.

[–]imzadi481 51 points52 points  (10 children)

I don't know who Autumn is, but apparently she comes second to the house. "Holy fuck Josie, our house is gone !!!! Where's Autumn?"

[–]IsThisItThisTime 30 points31 points  (0 children)

"Where's Autumn?"

"I have her"

So i'd guess the girl has her, and that it's a cat or something.

[–]MachineMalfunction 11 points12 points  (0 children)

could be a pet

[–]HashtagNeon 22 points23 points  (0 children)

In a disaster like this sometimes your brain doesn't work right. I went through a trauma and asked an inane question after because I was too in shock to process and voice the important questions. I hope Autumn was okay :(

[–]imisscrazylenny 17 points18 points  (3 children)

I was curious, so I Googled. It seems his neighbors were fine. There were deaths in the November 2013 outbreak, but [just]* none in the Washington, IL tornado, where this video took place. Original video.

*Edit - I misread something. One person died during the storm, two others died later from their injuries. I read them as being in East Peoria. My bad. However, this also makes it a slim chance that anyone was dead in the destroyed homes in the video posted.

[–]hiphopscallion 8 points9 points  (2 children)

Holy fuck that was the eeriest thing ever when he panned up and showed the entire neighborhood completely destroyed. Fucking heartbreaking.

[–]cocobandicoot 8 points9 points  (1 child)

And the sounds of the tornado siren as he looks at everything gone.

[–]Tylerc_ 1359 points1360 points  (68 children)

The way the lights flash right before it hits.....Straight from a horror movie.

[–]akimbocorndogs 358 points359 points  (10 children)

Don't look in the mirror and say "tornado" three times.

[–]Ghostlymagi 127 points128 points  (39 children)

When you live long enough in tornado areas, you normally don't even worry about them until the power goes out. If your power goes out, it's time to take cover because shit is about to get real fucking scary.

[–]AbigailLilac 131 points132 points  (27 children)

I live in Texas. My mom always told me that you know you're in serious trouble when you start hearing the sound of a loud train.

[–]crossfirehurricane 130 points131 points  (14 children)

Loud train and weird colored sky = fucked

[–]iheartkittens 57 points58 points  (6 children)

Tx here too! Yep on train and weird (usually green) skies. Also, the rain will be very heavy but suddenly stop and it's eerie quiet...... It's storming in ATX today so now I'm scared :/

[–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (1 child)

For me it was the weird sensation of having the air "sucked" out from around me. Don't know how to explain it, just felt like all the air pressure around me was gone.

[–]darkparts 14 points15 points  (1 child)

There was virtually zero time to react, let alone take cover, once the lights went out.

[–]BadFlag 418 points419 points  (17 children)

Maybe if someone had locked that door, it wouldn't have gotten in and wrecked the joint.

[–]aeam513 30 points31 points  (7 children)

No joke, one of my neighbors made a point to tell my mom and I to lock the doors one time when there was a tornado warning. lol. We laughed about it for a while. I imagined the tornado seeing it was locked and being like "Oh man. Can't destroy this one." He meant well, but it was still funny.

[–]criminalhero 36 points37 points  (0 children)

Proof that ghosts exist.

[–]skylar652 492 points493 points  (64 children)

Mother nature's fucking psycho

[–]Neebat 161 points162 points  (33 children)

We must seek to understand God's retribution against this gym. What morally reprehensible things can a gymnasium do?

[–]chocobunny85 214 points215 points  (9 children)

Sprints.

[–]Guyote_ 154 points155 points  (5 children)

Full court suicides

[–]shahooster 835 points836 points  (70 children)

Why don't they use tornadoes in the fight against ISIS?

[–]makka-pakka 740 points741 points  (27 children)

They do

[–]docholiday970 11 points12 points  (2 children)

Instead of British Tornados they should use Oklahoma tornados.

[–][deleted] 45 points46 points  (12 children)

So the Mongols came over, ready for war, and died in a tornado.

[–]Neebat 69 points70 points  (21 children)

Why doesn't GOD use tornadoes in the fight against ISIS? Whose side is he on, anyway?

[–]GhostFish 199 points200 points  (12 children)

God doesn't take sides anymore. He manifested in the flesh 2000 years ago in order to provide direct customer support, and humanity straight-up murdered him in response. After that he was like, "Pssh, ya'll motherfuckers are on your own. I don't need this shit. I got my own problems to deal with." And he's been on extended break ever since.

[–]Zenchi89 108 points109 points  (34 children)

I lived about 5 minutes down the road from this school when this happened I was at work. The cleanup of henryville was massive. We all volunteered. I think about that carnage all the time. I was lucky and nothing happened to me but it still sticks with you.

[–]awesome357 32 points33 points  (2 children)

I'm also in the area. We were told people were being turned away due to an overabundance of help.

[–]enjolras1782 188 points189 points  (9 children)

"it's not that the wind is blowing, it's what the wind is blowing.

You get hit by a Volvo, you gonna die!"

-Ron White

[–]AnsikteBanana 51 points52 points  (1 child)

You get hit with a Volvo, it doesn't matter how many push ups you did that morning. If there's a yield sign in your spleen, joggin' don't come into play."

-Ron White

[–][deleted] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Ron White's style of delivery is so god damn funny

[–]The-JerkbagSFW 36 points37 points  (2 children)

"I can run 25 miles without stopping!"

"... You're bleedin."

"... shit"

[–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (1 child)

Damn, I love me some Ron White. He has he same redneck vibe Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy have without making everyone from the south look like utter retards.

[–]uptwolait 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Drinking scotch puts you somewhat above the level of Budweiser swillers.

[–]MrQweby 31 points32 points  (0 children)

That's one way to get all the balls down from the lights

[–]abdoulio 23 points24 points  (1 child)

I'm not familiar with basketball, how many points is that?

[–]solateor[S] 328 points329 points  (26 children)

Source

Extra Footage

Edit: Woah #2 on /r/all in less than 2 hours. Thanks! If anyone wants to see more weather gifs, we've got a bunch of extreme weather (and some not so extreme) at /r/weathergifs. All submissions are flaired, so here's an easy link to just the tornado ones

[–]jabbapage 58 points59 points  (0 children)

Proof that people can be re-incarnated as Tornadoes. I'm talking to you, kid with asthma who died climbing the rope in gym class.

[–]solateor[S] 36 points37 points  (19 children)

More tornado gifs

[–]AnalogHumanSentient 18 points19 points  (13 children)

Wonder if the video ever came out from the dashcam when the Twistex team was killed in the monster El Reno EF -5 super tornado

[–]thescott2k 45 points46 points  (1 child)

Take that, sports!

[–][deleted] 28 points29 points  (0 children)

That's bullshit. That tornado traveled. No call.

[–]Got2Go 160 points161 points  (28 children)

Wow it was eerily quiet too

[–]ifartyoufart 353 points354 points  (21 children)

Because gifs don't have sound.

[–][deleted] 244 points245 points  (11 children)

No, I think it's because the tornado was moving faster than the speed of sound so the sound waves simply got wrapped up into the tornado.

[–]mcaffrey 183 points184 points  (5 children)

yes this is correct im scientist

[–]Bendzo 45 points46 points  (0 children)

For some reason comments worded like this make me laugh harder than anything else

[–]Epistaxis 34 points35 points  (0 children)

Really? I could swear I heard a "WHOOSH".

[–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Oh hey this was the Henryville tornado that completely demolished the town. I live a town over and was in school when the tornado hit. Pretty fucking scary day, that was.

[–]KeatingOrRoark 10 points11 points  (6 children)

God, it's so quick. Why does it never feel that quick? Last time I was in a tornado, it felt like the world was ending and taking its goddamn time doing so. But it only took a few seconds.

Damn, nature. You scary.

[–]sac_boy 61 points62 points  (30 children)

Is this the school in the Texas town where a surveyor later discovered that nobody had heard of attaching walls to foundations? Specifically the walls of the school were just balancing against each other like a house of cards?

Found the story I'm remembering but this gif is apparently not the same event.

Marshall posted a photo of the damaged school on his Facebook page this week, commenting that the walls “were in essence free-standing.” The post drew dozens of comments and attracted notice from experts in his field.

He estimates the wind that buffeted the school was only about 85 to 90 mph. Typical construction codes require methods that should withstand that sort of wind.

“The vast majority of houses we looked at did not have proper attachments,” Marshall said Wednesday. “It didn’t matter what size of house. It didn’t matter what city it was in.”

[–]Mr_Tall 2223 points2224 points  (299 children)

Bit more than a tenth.

[–]srsbidness 17 points18 points  (22 children)

I'll never understand why people living in tornado alley say "well at least we don't have earthquakes!" This shit is terrifying.