The Trouble with Twisters

Story by Grace Fawcett

The students walking from the Eudora ED-TEC building do not yet hear the tornado sirens wailing or feel the tumultuous wind throwing debris onto their path, because today is only a drill.

“I don’t feel safe,” says Paisley Labelle.

Midwestern high schools have been hit by tornados before. On July 6, Eudora felt the effects of an EF1, the second- to-lowest level tornado, on Main Street. Branches were strewn about and roofs were damaged. While a tornado of that classification results in minimal damage, there is the possibility that a more forceful tornado could occur.

Eudora High School students may not be. Students and faculty with classes in the EdTech building have to walk outside to the main building in order to get to a tornado safe zone. On Sept. 30, during the tornado drill, it was difficult to fit everyone inside of those tornado safe zones. An estimated 125 students are in the EdTech during any given hour, and a safe room for that amount of people would cost anywhere from $34,500 to $82,735 if purchased from leading safe room providers. That kind of money is difficult for most public schools to come up with. However, the administration must weigh the expenses against the terrible consequences if students could not reach safety in time.