Happy Tuesday to all. Today is just a bit about being storm ready. We are not even into spring storm range yet, and here they are. Weather events have really been active this year. So many rainstorms and snow out West. Blizzards still happening up North. Fire and wind in other areas. Extreme storms south, Ohio valley, and East. Then later in the year comes hurricane season. Goodness, it seems like activity will become a yearlong event.
Can you ever be ready?? You can prepare and have a plan. But when events happen like last week - there isn't a lot that you can do but PAY ATTENTION!!!! It has now come to light, that my state alone had 17 tornado touch-down on Friday night (when it was bedtime). These ranged from EF0 - EF3. I can't imagine why anyone went to bed - with all the alerts - but I am sure some did. Nighttime storms are super scary as you cannot see what is coming!
More storms are coming this week - many to the same areas hit on Friday.
I haven't been as worried as the other night, in ages. Being late at night was scary.
I had my cell phone charged, my emergency radio downstairs, as well as some other important items - just in case.
You may want to have important documents stored in a safe place in the lower level of your home or in a safe, that is water proof. Medication, your charged phone, your pets, maybe a whistle (alerts of your presence).
This all sounds common sense but many are not prepared at all. In 2002 we had a very huge tornado system come my side of town. My old neighborhood got hit bad. My brother had a lot of damage. It was amazing the things that were found! Documents were in his yard from miles and miles away!!!!!!
Stuff travels.
Today there are many people using the internet and FB to help connect people with their things and even pets. I keep seeing lots of posts (my niece is sharing from a hard hot area) - animals rescued - some with people, others taken to shelters - pictures and photo albums found, and what are obviously antiques and heirlooms. That is so cool. IF there is nothing else someone can do to help - this is important!!!!! Help people reconnect with their loved pets and items. You might make sure your animals are chipped!
This area is about 20-25 minutes due south of me. Just so sad.
It happens in moments!!!!!!!!!!!
It happens with only moments notice - if that!
It is indiscriminate to who or what it hits!
The whole country has been hit with something scary this year. These storms last week went form the mid-section of the country to the east coast (NJ).
I know many of you live in these areas, so please do whatever you can to prepare. Be alert and listen to the authorities (weather). They are tracking this stuff, and I do believe them when it comes to things like this.
There was a little elderly lady on the news last night that lost everything. God bless her, her attitude was the best. She said she "spent $1,500 last week to have her trees trimmed"!! Said "I guess God didn't think it was done right". She was grateful for having her life and her memories.
Yep, if we have our life, that of our families and our memories we will be OK. Stuff can be replaced. It is heartbreaking and devastating, but nature is a force that we cannot stand up to! It most generally wins.
Do what you can to protect yourself and your family. Pay attention.
I know many do not feel there is anything that can be done to help - but there is a lot of small things that help in BIG ways.
SHARE those FB posts about pets or objects if you see them.
People are in huge need of trash bags, gloves, gas for chainsaws, flip-flops for community shower areas, toiletries, baby supplies, baggies (to put things found in). REMEMBER - not only homes are destroyed, but stores, gas stations, businesses of all sorts.
If you can - donate to a reputable organization that is helping the communities.
Give a helping hand if you can.
Hand out cold water or snacks.
DO something.
IF this ever happens in your area, these are just a few ideas to remember.
I pray for the safety of all our readers. I still haven't seen some of the regular's post. May you all be safe.
STAY SAFE - STAY VIGILANT
God bless you all.
My heart goes out to those affected by the storms. We have had the occasional small tornado here in Saskatchewan. The last big one was in 1912 that hit the city (an F4). I've experienced high winds and hail and the like but never a tornado, thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteI certainly do pay attention to the weather forecasts and if I lived in that area, I'd be hunkered down every time a warning came across.
Take care, as best you can!
I am glad for those who do not live through these things or the threat of them. This is a yearly event for us. The mid-section of the country is very prone to having tornadoes - that doesn't make it any better!
DeleteAnother reason to be prepared at all times, not just for bad weather but outages and shortages. We can always help other folks worse off than ourselves. A windup weather radio is necessary.
ReplyDeleteErin said to thank you for the recommendation for drop for kitty sniffles.
YES MAM!!!!!! It is so nice to walk in the pantry or open the freezer and know you can help others!
DeleteI am a believer in the radio now!
She is welcome!!!!!
Absolutely agree with everything you said. Additionally, it's not only tornado activity. Last week, for me, it was high straight-line winds, 85 mph to the west of me. Luckily they subsided to 50-60 mph by the time they reached me. I was not so concerned with structural damage, like a tornado would cause. But, the back (west-facing) side of my townhome is essentially a wall of glass on the 2nd level (picture window with sliders on each side + a patio door), and a similar window on the 3rd floor. I was more concerned with glass breakage flying over my head on the 2nd level (family room) or onto my bed (3rd level). Pup and I spent aobut 2 hours on the lower level, where there's only one east-facing window). My complex has all underground wiring, so my TV/internet/power remained on, and I have my office and a TV in that lower level. But, I kept my cell phone and laptop fully charged, just in case. This afternoon, we gear up for another round. Stay safe everyone!
ReplyDeleteYes, people dismiss straight line winds because they aren't considered tornados. Well let me tell you they can do a lot of damage. Had siding ripped off one year from straight line winds, and siding and roofing fixed due to hail. Lots of things can cause damage other than tornadoes.
DeleteI don't blame you - stay away from lots of windows during these crazy storms. Praying we are all safe from round 2!!!!!!
This is an important post. A tip I learned living in hurricane territory is to keep your freezer as full as possible. If there are any spaces add filled plastic water bottles or jugs. If the power goes out a full freezer will keep things cold for 48 hours. The time goes down with the less you have in there. Just don't open the door.
ReplyDeleteWe've been without power for over 12 days and the radio was a necessity to keep informed on what is going on around you. Phone service won't always be available.
Thank you. I thought it was important as well! Your advice is great. Full and closed - best words ever. It is so helpful when people have generators that can be run for periods of time, thus helping things staying frozen.
DeleteVery true - phone need to be charged - but that doesn't guarantee service.
Thanks. I am surprised that there were not more ideas from others.
We have a crank, solar power radio. Hubby is a HAM radio operator so he was up listening all night. We have put important stuff in the freezer (chest) in water proof rubber maid. My son also has copies of all of them incase something happens to us, he doesn't have to hunt and find. We don't get tornadoes (average is 1 a year)much here on this side of Bellefontaine OH but we do get the winds and have learned to keep barn doors SHUT. Amish neighbor has lost 3 in past year as high winds take them off the railing and sends them flying (like right were his horses was)
ReplyDeleteBlessed Be
Good idea on using totes in the freezer. I have an old non-working chest freezer in the garage and that may be a good idea to use it for. Now I store feed in it. (mouse proof)
DeleteI remember going to Bellefontaine many, many years ago. My ex worked with a guy that lived there. I remember they had such a lovely home - kind of in the woods. Nice area.
Wind of any kind can sure be devastating. Nature can be so unpredictable.
We had a tornado pass north of the city about 5 years ago. Not too bad of one. But we did have one when I was a teenager that ripped the roofs off a few buildings here and caused lots of flooding. Our main street was overflowing.
ReplyDeleteInstead of tornados we mostly have blizzards where you can't see across the street.
Great reminders of how to be ready.
God bless.
NATURE - we love it and we hate it! It can sure be glorious and mean. I don't want the blizzards either!!
DeleteThanks.
I have a great respect for tornadoes. My grandmother lived in Kansas and sometimes when we would visit the tornado sirens would go off and we would head to the cave since she had no safe room. Course you had to go in with a light and make sure the snakes hadn’t gotten there before you.
ReplyDeleteI just gotten a new kennel quilt request today for TN. I can’t keep up. Nancy in Vancouver WA.
Oh my a cave! Snakes!!! YIKES! A lot of places have storm cellars - I have a basement. I always wondered about the basement though, as the gas water heater and furnace are there! Gas is scary.
DeleteYou sure can't run from them - they are scary.
Kennel quilt - do tell. This sounds interesting - please tell us more.
The quilt pattern magazine started this years ago. They receive requests from organizations that have experienced some kind of disaster. After each, large numbers of pets end up in shelters. Most shelters don’t have a lot of extra room so they have a stockpile of extra kennels that is where the cats and small dogs go until they can either be reunited with family or rehomed somewhere else. I get lots of emails listing a shelter that needs little quilts to place on the bottom of the kennel to make the animal just a bit more comfortable. I make a few and then mail them to the shelter and let the Quilt Pattern Magazine know how many I sent. I think I have had 7 requests in the last 3 weeks. I have no idea how many people are signed up to make them and life happens and I can’t always send my few but I figure any I can send helps.
DeleteI tape my freezer and fridge doors closed. It's just habit and second nature to open the door and foof, there goes the cold air. Don't need much tape, just enough to resist your pull and be visible so you remember and say, Oh no, do not open!
ReplyDeleteVery accurate about the full freezer staying frozen longer.
Hope never ever to be in a tornado. Hurricanes are bad enough. There were plenty of those where I grew up.
MaryB
Taping the freezer - smart. Resist the temptation!!!!! Yes, a full freezer will last longer.
DeleteHurricanes would be terrifying. Wind is bad enough - without that kind of wind and all the water. I never even want to imagine that.
Oh my gosh, the damage and loss is horrible. I was watching the news (I've given up on traditional news pretty much) but needed the weather report for here. A precious elderly lady was interviewed and she too had such a sweet spirit and grateful heart! Someone found the suitcase with her daughter's christening gown and keepsakes, apparently she lost her home. She was so sweet, she said, "God answers prayers" as she held that suitcase of keepsakes and was so appreciative of being safe.
ReplyDeleteVery good reminders here! I bought my husband a radio much like yours, I think I need one too. We have little cheap battery operated transistor radios we use a lot even now for walking around the house listening to our favorite talk radio show so we don't disturb our sleeping daughter in the morning,turning the kitchen radio up too loud. It works great that way.
I will be lifting these families up in prayer, God help them! They have certainly been through it. Poor things! On the positive side, it's great people do have the internet with fb and things like that to connect and return important items and pets etc. I feel sorry for the pets that ran away, hopefully they will be reunited with their parents soon.
We have more hurricanes here and that's a major concern.
Thank you for the great ideas, I'm going to look up your radio set.
The stories of survival of amazing. I just listen to these peoples stories and know there was a far greater force involved in their survival. I love that there are ways for people to connect today.
DeleteIt is great today that people can get those precious things back. I worry so much about those poor pets.
Yes, please keep them in prayer as there are storms going through the same area again today.
Get that radio - they are important.
I live in Alabama, so I am very familiar with tornadoes. In 2011, a tornado hit our town, ripping it to pieces. I was a block from structural damage and lost roofing. For five days I had no electricity. I bought a generator and saved refrigerator and freezer contents. Plus, I had one lamp to use.
ReplyDeleteWe were lucky as there was no rain with the tornado and none for two weeks. This hit in the afternoon. By the next morning, there were places to eat, thankfully. I did not get the generator until that afternoon and did not dare open the refrigerator.
The city set up a station where we could use wifi and recharge phones. I went to BAM for my use of laptop. I blogged from there. My car, even when not running, would recharge my phone and camera.
The town was a mess. Within two blocks of my house, I could find no landmarks or street signs.
Except for having to get the generator, I was prepared. I found a place with generators on the way in two hours. I paid for it and sat and waited for it. The people told me I could come back when the called me instead of waiting around all day. Nope, I did not want my generator to be given to someone with more money and clout.
Places to eat were Civic Center, a church two blocks from me cooking on grills, truck set up in HS parking lot, and other places. However, it was the end of the fourth day before I saw a fruit or vegetable!
DeleteThe devastation can be overwhelming. It is surprising that you found a generator after the storm happened. It is always good to have a plan. Once the storm hits an area - all the planning in the world does no good. In seconds, things change.
DeleteI am glad you had no damage. It is always wonderful that places show up with help, food, and supplies.
Lots of great suggestions, thank you Cheryl.
ReplyDeleteI have an emergency bag packed with all the essential items one needs when disaster strikes. Luckily I have only needed it once but a few times it was a close call and it was reassuring to know it was there.
One special thing I also have in that bag is a mug shot of my pets. If they are ever parted from me, then showing people a photo, or posting on social media, is easier to do with a photo rather than saying “ a brown mixed breed dog”.
Linda.
Good going. Smart move on your behalf. Yes, pictures of our furbbies are helpful. I have seen so many pictures of kitties and dogs on FB - people hunting for their babies. It is so sad. I sure hope they all reconnect.
DeleteStorm clouds are rolling in this morning here. Those thunderclaps can give you a heart attack. Great suggestions and right on time.
ReplyDeleteThanks - it just is devastating to see what nature can do.
DeleteThis is so devastating. If I was there I would be out helping with clean up.
ReplyDeleteIt is all so sad. So many ways to help - we are all trying to do something
Delete