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Tornado Season

We have missed all of the really bad weather these past few weeks and I am so thankful. Vince and I were watching our favorite weather guy, Ryan Hall, the other night til after midnight. Looking at the pictures from where the tornadoes had gone, I looked at Vince and about the same time, he looked at me and I knew there was something he started to say and then didn’t.

Our “safe room” is all concrete – even has a concrete ceiling. Our porch on the main level is concrete and that’s part of the poured concrete safe room. The walls are very thick. We had something very similar tin our first house in MO. I’ve always felt very safe going to those rooms. After looking at the pictures, I said to Vince “Would our safe room really keep us safe?” I knew that was exactly what he was wondering when he had decided not to ask the question.

It isn’t something keeping me awake at night, at least not on the nights when the weather is calm. I know I mentioned this before but after the Joplin tornado, there were concrete foundations/slabs where houses had been and there was not one thing left! Not a board, not a nail, no carpet, no tile . . nothing. I kept thinking . . they tell us to get into a bath tub . . the bath tubs were all gone! I have heard of people surviving because they got into a tub and covered themselves so it all depends on the severity of the tornado.

Tomorrow, we’re in a risk area for tornadoes. We aren’t in the highest risk so I’m taking that to mean we’ll be fine.

I don’t get worked up about it. One of my biggest fears is that the tornado/storm will take out our power and internet/cell service in the area and my blog friends will be worried. I know . . life goes on and most probably wouldn’t even realize I hadn’t posted! 🙁

Yesterday Ryan Hall put out this video. I follow him so I get notification for new videos. Addie was in with Boots so I thought I’d go ahead and watch his video. I wouldn’t watch it in front of her because I don’t want to scare her. If he’s right, we may be in the hot seat. Guess we’ll find out soon.

I had just finished watching the video and I got a note from a friend and she sent me the link to the video and said “You need to watch this!” I wrote her back and thanked her, told her I had just finished watching it. Over the next hour or so, I got two more notes telling me “Watch this video!” Same thing – wrote them back, told them I had watched it and thanks for sending it to me.

Last night Vince said “I’m sending you a link to a video you need to watch.” My first thought was “He’s sending me a video about a chicken coop he wants to build!” Nope . . he sent me the same Ryan Hall video.

Within a few hours, I got four notes telling me to watch the video. Not that the circumstances and warnings are funny . . they are very serious, but I thought it was kinda funny that everyone was sending me the link to the same video when every weather guy in the area is posting videos about Tuesday. I think all my friends must be Ryan Hall fans, including Vince.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. mt sil lives in an area with tornadoes and they have an underground room for emergencies. painted on their curb is some sort of notification about the fact that there is one and i asked’ “why?” it was to alert first responders to look there in the event they had become trapped. something i hadn’t thot of, but makes perfect sense.

    • Here we register our address with the sheriff’s department if we have underground shelters (we do). We gave them a drawing of the house, as well as Chad’s phone number so hopefully if the worst ever happens, someone will come looking for us.

  2. Praying y’all stay safe! I spent many years in Oklahoma, Ohio, Illinois, Kansas, and Alabama and have had to take shelter and even go to shelters during tornado warnings. Night times were the worst! Never saw one until just two years ago visiting family in Colorado! We didn’t have to take shelter as it wasn’t moving towards us. I watched the video link you shared and was nodding when he mentioned Utah. We’re in the first day of a 2+ day storm and have received about 8″ of snow already. They say we might get 20! It feels like deja vu as last Monday we got 17″ of snow and Friday 14! We might get to 60 at the end of the week so maybe this is the last of the big snow!

    • You probably don’t want to hear that our high today is going to be 86 and the air conditioner is one.

      I feel so bad for the folks who have already had tornado damages and now they may be having more of them.

  3. Tornadoes are awful. Living in Ohio, we get our share. I pray for you folks and all who wrestle with the dangers that Mother Nature sends our way. You are as prepared as can be.

    • Our forecast is looking better today – a chance for isolated tornadoes – not great but could be way worse.

  4. Glad you posted about this Judy, I had been worried for the last few days when I saw where the tornadoes were, and the damage they had caused. Glad you are safe xx

    • If you’re ever worried, we are just a bit north of Joplin. If the Joplin area has damage, we probably have damage.

  5. Growing up in East Texas, we ran for the storm shelter many times with tornadoes coming. We even slept through one that took the shingles off the house ridge line. In South Dakota, we have had tornadoes and last year’s derecho. Tomorrow most of the state will be in another blizzard. Isn’t weather the oddest thing? Someone said to me today at least it gives us something to talk about besides politics. You and Vince keep an eye out and stay safe. We will be thinking of you.

    • In southwest Louisiana and even when we lived in east Texas, I never remember having tornadoes. My first experience with them was in Kentucky and then the Joplin tornado happened when we were living near Joplin in 2011. In central Texas we had at least one close call. Actually, it seems the tornado pattern has moved farther south than where we are now but we’ll never let our guard down when there are warnings.

  6. Not to be light hearted about the serious of tornadoes and the damage they cause, but yes, it would be noticed if you didn’t post. Even on day when you are busy baking, canning, stitching…., I notice that you haven’t posted much. Take care! From near the Texas Gulf Coast.

    • That’s very sweet. Thanks! There are days when I realize I’ve hardly posted and I feel bad – not because anyone needs my chattering to get through their day but it’s kind of a pattern for me to post several times and we’re getting to the age when you never know what might happen! 🙂

        • Thanks! I have a couple of friends I could call and ask them to at least leave a comment that they’ve talked to me and we’re ok even if we don’t have power.

  7. …I’ve been thinking about all of you during this weather. I am so heartbroken for all the people who have lost so much. After seeing little Rolling Fork, MS just obliterated, I didn’t think it could be much worse but it seems I was wrong.

    We are soon entering our hurricane season. At least we can run from those. There’s no warning with a tornado.

    • Oh, goodness .. I know you don’t even want to think about hurricane season. Yes, there is warning but sometimes it seems to go on for days and days, even weeks, not knowing exactly where it’s going to hit and the tension and planning and worrying. I don’t miss that. The Rolling Fork area is truly obliterated. So sad.

  8. We are under sever weather watch here for ice. Up to 1/2 inch over night tonight

    • I hope it doesn’t happen. That much ice can do a lot of damage, not to mention how slick roads, bridges, overpasses, steps, etc. will be.

  10. .The other day I happened to have my phone in the bathroom while I showered. I was washing my hair when an alarm went off! I thought that it must be a flash flood warning (not a big worry here), and was relieved not to worry about tornadoes. Guess what? I couldn’t find it (the warning) when I got out of the shower. so I told my husband all the above, and he said it WAS a tornado warning! I guess you can’t rule anything out!

    And for my Minnesota friends who are terrified of earthquakes, a couple days later we had one, but it was small and didn’t bother us. Once again, I could hear it coming, felt it, and heard it moving on.

    • Well, that means you need to have a tornado plan in place. Any time there’s halfway bad weather here, I don’t take a shower because I don’t want to be the naked lady on the street because I was in the shower when the house got blown away! 🙁

      Yes, an earthquake would scare me to death!

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