thoughtnot

The weather outside had been a little crazy, but it seemed we were in a lull. I looked outside to the west and could see sunshine. The map on the television showed more storms were headed our way, but for the moment we were in the clear. Certainly, I thought, I had at least a half hour before the next round hit. That should be enough time to run over to the grocery store and pick up my wife’s prescription. Our son was scheduled to be delivered the next morning via c-section, and she needed this picked up beforehand. I had plenty of time… or so it seemed.

Despite the noise from the thunder, our daughter was fast asleep. I gave my wife a quick kiss, jumped in the car, and hit the road. By that time it was getting darker, and the sunshine I had seen moments earlier was gone. Uh oh. This thing was moving faster than I had anticipated.

By the time I got to the grocery about 2 miles away, the storm was on us in full force. Lightening was striking all around. Rain drops the size of marbles were falling. Tree leaves were “inside out”, which is never a good sign. I grabbed the prescription and some bananas and hit the checkout lane. As the clerk muddled along, it got worse. My wife called my mobile phone…. “Why did you have to leave right now?” she asked. A tornado WARNING had been issued. I told her to wake our daughter and get to the neighbor’s house. They had a basement, so I knew they would be safer there. I paid and made a bone soaking dash for the car.

The drive home was harrowing… I could barely see 20 feet in front of me. Huge trees were whipping side to side like saplings, dropping leaves and branches onto the road. The radio was crackling that tornados and funnel clouds were spotted in our area. The guy in front of me was driving about 20mph… I switched to NASCAR mode and rode his bumper with my lights flashing for the next mile.

By the time I got home, the power was out in the house. It was a bit eery, actually. I grabbed my flashlight and made a quick run-though, then (despite resistance from the screen door) sprinted for the neighbors house. Lightening struck nearby just as I hit their porch.

The rest of the night was much less stressful, but I have to admit I was pretty shaken by the experience. I hated that we had to wake my daughter, and the thought that I had left them at a time when they needed the “security” I could provide. Plus, with the baby due the next morning, I was worried about my wife. No need for early labor! Added to that was the realization that our home is less than adequate for protection against this kind of weather. The mortality of the whole situation just hit me.

I admit I don’t hold my compsure well in major storms. Tornados have always scared the hell out of me for some reason… perhaps because about 7 of them once struck nearby when I was a child, which gave me nightmares for a long time. Some would say I am over-cautious during storms, making my wife and the kids head for the bathroom as soon as a watch or warning is issued. However, if being cautious once saves our lives, I’ll take that chance. Much better to be prepared than to be caught sleeping.

With that in mind, I bought a weather radio from Radio Shack this weekend. It is a really nice one, and I got a great deal on it (on sale for $20 off through March 9th!). It was really easy to program, and from now on I’ll get alerts for just our county…. no longer to I have to rely on the local news channel’s weather hack.

A little fancy for simple alerts? Possibly. A little over the top? Maybe. But if it keeps my family safe, it’s well worth the investment. At best, the next time we have a stormy night, maybe I’ll be able to sleep knowing something will wake me up if necessary. That alone makes it worth every penny.