Monday, May 10, 2010

Tornado Season


I grew up with a weird view of tornadoes. In tornado season I would lay in my bed at night hearing the thunder and the crack of lightning. If it was raining I was not scared. My parents had told me that tornadoes never come "while it is raining"! Not true but it worked for me. We lived near the center of town and when the tornado siren sounded for everyone to take cover we went through our ritual. 1. Get Dressed. 2. Get in the car. 3. Drive to the edge of town to our friend's storm cellar. 4. Women and small children go in the cellar. 5. Men and older boys stand out in the rain and watch the clouds. If it gets real bad jump in the cellar. Looking back my family and our friends seem suicidal!

First the cellar was on the southwest side of town in the path of most storms. Then the idea that we would see the tornado. We might have heard it but not see it.

We were lucky and never witnessed a funnel. Years later while I was away at college, a tornado hit the edge of my hometown (in the very area of the cellar).

I am so much smarter no. With all our weather coverage on TV, I don't have to get wet, I can set in my chair and watch the storm until we loose power!

Tonight's tornado missed us by 15 miles.

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