Monday, April 16, 2012

Tornado Season

How was your weekend?

Mine was..

Well, you know, I’ll just share this.



That would be a life threatening blob. RIGHT OVER WHERE WE LIVE!

We had some insane weather over the weekend. It all started Friday. The rain pelted down on us to the point where areas were flooded.



That’s our street.

Threats of tornados kept popping up.

“Yes!” Tommy shouted. He’s obsessed with weather. He’s also slightly insane. “I can’t wait to see a tornado.”

“Um,” I said. “I’d rather not see one. I like our belongings and don’t want to see them blown all over the place.”

Right as the weather got bad, Tom had to go into work to help keep the dogs safe. He’s a K9 handler. Obviously dogs are more important than families in the Air Force.

“Do you know how to open the shelter if a tornado comes?” Natalie asked.

I nodded. We have a tiny shelter in the garage. That tiny shelter also is home to various bugs. I did not want to go into the tiny shelter covered in crickets. And spiders. And I don’t want to know what else. (Bug feces??!)

“I don’t want to die,” Natalie sighed.

Tommy put that in her head. He was rambling on how if an F5 hit us that we’d surely all die.

I told him to stop speaking that way in front of his sister. And me. I tend to panic.

Lucky for us, that storm passed. No tornado. Tom came home. We were hungry so what does a person do after being threatened with tornados? Get Popeyes.

On Saturday we kept hearing rumblings that the weather would be even worse. So we put protection on our vehicles since large hail is often dropped.

Why not put the car in the garage you say?

No room.

I’m a bit of an—ahem—packrat.

I like to refer to it as a Preserver of Memories.

Tom vacuumed the shelter and I gathered the supplies. Radio. Water. Snacks. Chocolate.

“Finally, I’ll see a tornado!” Tommy said.

It turns out, he wouldn’t. We got downgraded from a tornado watch to a severe thunderstorm watch.

Tommy was crushed.

“I’ve been waiting my WHOLE LIFE to see a tornado!” he shrieked. And then promptly burst into tears.

“Tommy,” I said. “Like I said before, we don’t WANT a tornado near us. Don’t your like your toys?”

“I just wanted to see a tornado!” Tommy wailed.

“Trust me, you don’t want to go down into the shelter. There are bugs…”

“THERE ARE BUGS? I AM NEVER GOING DOWN THERE!”

Crap.

That was Natalie, who had been listening in. Parenting two kids is tough. You try and cheer one up and you end up freaking out the other.

Now I worry how I’m going to get Natalie down there when we DO have a siren going off. I’ll have to carry her kicking and screaming.

Lucky for us, it seems like the weather will be somewhat calm this week.

I do hope those of you who were hit by tornados are safe.

Welcome to tornado season.

32 comments:

  1. Awwww, man. I remember Tornado season when I lived in the midwest. It wasn't fun. :(

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  2. We totally talked about the same thing today!!! And we can NEVER get our kids together, I swear they'd be out collecting data. Can you see if Tommy likes Tornado Alley Live. Alex loves it. Just a thought....

    And I'm glad you are safe. Girls in Tornado Alley have to stick together. Hugs.

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  3. Oh dear! I would hate that... one of the benefits of living in colder regions :)

    Visiting from SITS, make it a great day!

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  4. Thank goodness we don't live in an area that gets tornadoes! It's great to hear that you didn't see any tornadoes, let alone have to experience one. That would scare the heck outta me.

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  5. "A preserver of memories" That is classic! I'm glad that ya'll are all ok and safe!

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  6. Tornadoes scare the bajeebies out of me. But spiders do too. That's a tough one.

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  7. Glad you are all ok and didn't have to go into the buggy shelter.

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  8. I feel for you dear. I too live in Texas. We were at the tail end of the storm front that hit Saturday, out east of San Antonio. We just got a bit of wimpy wind and not a single drop of rain.

    Today the rain is traveling along the coast of Texas to Houston and we are hoping madly for a storm to drop some rain here. So far only enough to wet the pavement. :(

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  9. I hate tornado season...Hate it. During the DFW break out on Tuesday of Holy Week, there were two tornadoes that touched down in my tiny town. One of them was a mile from the house. We were in the bathtub. I was giving myself stress contractions. Because having a baby is what you want to do when there's a tornado. After it was over we got survival tacos at Taco Cabana. So I'd say it was a win. Glad that you all were safe!

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  10. I was in that mess as well, on the Kansas side. We had lots of rain but the wind so strong it kept drying everything out. My 8yr old still managed to squeeze in 3 baseball and 1 soccer game! Glad you didn't have to go into a gross storm shelter!

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  11. Today is the 1 year anniversary of the (small) tornado that hit our house. Since I studied meteorology in school, I was slightly disappointed we weren't home. Slightly crazy? Maybe, but I get Tommy's disappointment :)

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  12. Tornadoes are not common in my neck of the woods, but maybe I'm a little insane like Tom - I kind of want to see one. From a safe distance, of course.

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  13. Tornadoes are not common in my neck of the woods, but maybe I'm a little insane like Tom - I kind of want to see one. From a safe distance, of course.

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  14. Tornadoes are not common in my neck of the woods, but maybe I'm a little insane like Tom - I kind of want to see one. From a safe distance, of course.

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  15. Tornadoes are not common in my neck of the woods, but maybe I'm a little insane like Tom - I kind of want to see one. From a safe distance, of course.

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  16. Tornadoes are not common in my neck of the woods, but maybe I'm a little insane like Tom - I kind of want to see one. From a safe distance, of course.

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  17. OMG how terrifying! I live in a place where tornadoes are extremely rare - -40 degree temperatures are not, though. I guess that's the trade off. I think I'd rather take the cold temps than such a scary weather phenomenon!

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  18. OMG how terrifying! I live in a place where tornadoes are extremely rare - -40 degree temperatures are not, though. I guess that's the trade off. I think I'd rather take the cold temps than such a scary weather phenomenon!

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  19. Awww....loved this! I tracked that particular storm cell all the way from Virginia! I was streaming some chasers as they got onto the tornadoes as it went near Alva, OK. Very scary stuff...the guys on your local weather were going nuts! (Hey, I changed my blogger link, so you may need to update me in your reader. I have gone back to the old blog. :) Missed you!)

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  20. so glad you're safe! I am not thrilled about this part of spring! (although better in TN than in IN!)

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  21. They were forecasting we may have some weather yesterday, but fortunately all we got was some crazy rain and wind. Tornadoes are very scary, even more so because we don't have any kind of shelter to go, even one filled with bugs.

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  22. Ugh! I can't imagine what it would be like to live near or around 'tornado alley'. It would totally freak me out.

    I am glad the storms missed you and you are safe.

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  23. Crazy time of year in the midwest! I hope you get through it okay!

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  24. You guys are heros out there in tornado alley - Don't know how you do it! It's got to be terrifying to hear those sirens. I am so glad you didn't get the brunt of it this weekend. Here's hoping you have a storm free season 0 or at least twister free- sorry Tommy! ~Deedee

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  25. Glad to hear you and your family are all SAFE! Scary....I hate tornadoes!

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  26. “I don’t want to die,” Natalie sighed.
    I owe you an apology, because her "sighed" completely cracked me up.

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  27. I've been feeling so badly for those who've been affected. Tornadoes are sooooo scary!

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  28. Years ago when I was 16 a tornado literally came thru our yard (Illinois) In the basement with little sister in my lap she got so scared she peed all over me. To this day when tornado warnings are up she has the urgency to pee. We think it is hysterical, she is never amused.

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  29. My son is in Kansas and I was worried for him! He's OK though - whew!

    And yes, dogs ARE more important than families!!! Didn't you get that briefing??? *eye roll*

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  30. Oh geez. I can't imagine kids during a storm. You should see our dogs. They are bad enough.

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  31. I am a "preserver of memories", too! LOL.

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  32. Yikes, makes me glad we don't have that often. We'll be praying for your safety over these months. :)

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