Storm Protocol

If you live in Oklahoma you better have one! Growing up in central Illinois we had tornadoes fairly frequently. They never seemed too scary to me because we had our basement. It was really just an excuse to go down there and play. The sirens went off, we went down and had all the stuff to occupy two kids ready and waiting. The biggest difference between those good old days and now? Super crazy weather forecasting!

When Hubby and I first moved back to Oklahoma I got a taste of the seriousness with which the weather here is forecast. It has only gotten worse with Doppler HD/ Storm Track1000/ Whatever else they use to basically show storms down to pinpoint locations. I know this technology and good weatherman forecasting can literally mean a difference between life and death for Oklahomans. I really do appreciate it on days like yesterday where tornadoes are popping up left and right. Hearing the weatherman call an intersection close to home gives you the time to get safe in a hurry.

But... I also know that in the rush to be the first/best/most accurate our local stations go overboard in a bad way on a lot of days when we are just having plain old thunder and lightning. It can desensitize you. There is something to be said about the good old days when they blew the siren and you ran to the safe spot- no turning on the TV and waiting to see where it is before you respond.

At our old house I spent many scary moments with both kids and the dog in the closet thinking... "We should REALLY put in one of those garage shelters". Only to forget about it the next day. After watching the news coverage of that family pulled out of their shelter after the garage collapsed on top of it? Man- if that is not a wakeup call for all the Oklahomans who don't have a shelter I don't know what is. In our new house we are blessed to have something most houses in Oklahoma don't- a basement. I love this room for lots of reasons, but yesterday I loved it for the most important reason.

When I read the weather report yesterday morning I decided I better sweep and clean up our basement. Glad I did- the kids spent about an hour down there snuggled in sleeping bags watching Madagascar on the travel DVD player last night. Some days you can just feel it in the air, and yesterday was one of those. I am grateful to be back in a house with a basement- it is a lot less scary for my kiddos than cramming into a closet or a fraidy hole in the garage. So- if the shiznit ever goes down at my house in OKC, look for us below ground- we will be riding it out in the basement. What is your protocol?