Small Town News

Don't be otherwise during a tornado

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What is the season after winter here in the Midwest?

Wrong, it's not spring! The answer is tornado season, which lasts from January 1 to December 31 here in Illinois.

Last week was Severe Weather Preparedness Week, and the media was full of stories on how to protect yourself and your family during severe weather outbreaks.

I think if you have lived here long enough, most know the rules; the do's, don'ts and the wise and otherwise when it comes to storms.

However, most of us a time or two or thousand have skirted some of the precautions for various reasons. In other words, we need to work on some of our "otherwise" responses. This includes the writer of this column.

For example, the worst kind of severe weather of all, at least to me, comes at night because you can't see what is going on. There goes the weather radio again. (I hope if you are reading this you have one.) How am I supposed to sleep? You can turn it off, but that sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it? While you're at it, why don't you just disconnect all the smoke alarms; they're annoying, too.

Or maybe it is during the day, you are outdoors, and enjoying the lake or having a really good golf game. Raise of hands, who has watched a "storm come up" while at the lake...while in a boat?

Who might have stayed out on the greens just a little longer than might be safe? Let me just say I don't golf, so at least I am one out of Awo on these.

Then there is the time' when you are, say, watcMhg' "Young and the Restless" on the TV when some weather forecaster rudely comes on to announce that a tornado might just be headed for your house.

But, but Billy is about to confront Adam; Nikki has just been arrested for murder; and Neil is headed for a breakdown! Tell the tornado to wait and get my "stories" back on!

First, we need to think about our priorities. Second, how many times has Nikki been arrested for murder on that show over the years? She should come with a warning. Not that I watch a "soap" or anything...

Back to the point. How many of us have said something like this during our lives? "We can outrun this!" "Oh, don't worry, that is going to miss us!" "I think the worst is over."

But we weren't able to outrun it; it did not miss us; and the worst was not over because here comes Nikki from 'Young and the Restless" looking angry!

Finally, and I know who you are, at the first sound of the tornado sirens or upon first hearing a tornado warning you do what they tell us is the most otherwise thing of all...you go outside to see for yourself.

The neighborhood could hold a block party around these times. The conversation goes something like this: "Hi, neighbor." "Hi!" "Looks like it might be a bad one." "What, I can't hear you over the sound of the wind and the tornado sirens."

I am so guilty of this, probably more guilty than that Nikki character or her evil twin. Except, I don't have an evil twin...or do I? Cue dramatic soap opera music simultaneously with the tornado sirens.

Stay tuned next week for more wise and otherwise, from me or the evil twin. Let's all be wise out there when it comes to severe weather. After all, Neil is having a breakdown. We all want to see if that comes about, right?



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