BE AWARE
Recent tornados caused enormous death and destruction in America’s midsection. The concentrated violence of this weather related event is sobering. Its haphazard formation and unpredictable path adds to the fear tornados can inspire. Approximately one thousand occur each year in the United States. It is probably a misnomer to describe a “small” or “mild” tornado. If its concentrated force hits just right, then serious destruction, injury or death can happen. Always take warnings and watches seriously.
In the 1950’s a huge storm crossed our lake in Northern Wisconsin. It caught my attention. We soon learned that the storm had spawned a tornado. I was surprised because I thought in terms of “Tornado Alley” where such storms were located in books and movies. It struck a wilderness area far north of OZ. We drove to see its path. A clear cut through the state forest was perhaps 100 feet wide and stretched as far as I could see. The trees were simply leveled and a few shards of stumps remained at the edges. Later, I overheard locals say it was a small tornado. Yet, I knew that if a cabin, automobile or person was near the path it would have been a bigger deal. So, there is also an element of luck with tornados.
Don’t take chances. I remember in the 1970’s and 1980’s that we sometimes took refuge in the basement when the weather service issued tornado warnings. Gather the family and kids who might be visiting and head to safety was the routine. There of course were those who pooed pooed the need because “it doesn’t look that bad.” I can attest that there is a definite “calm before the storm” aspect to an approaching tornado. At least there was on a specific spring day when the wind died down and an eerie feeling crept into my heart. So, we sought safety just before we lost a few windows to the tornado. A Kohl’s food store nearby lost some of its roof and a few houses west of us had damage. It appeared that the tornado skipped through town. Shelter is no guarantee of survival as was true for some in this month’s monster storms. But, a better safe than sorry prescription still makes the most sense.
Sense, especially common sense is what I urge for all things. This is very true when dealing with nature. It is strong, relentless and can be dangerous. However, don’t go through life in fear of what could happen. There is too much beauty and adventure to be enjoyed in nature. Just be aware of your surroundings; including approaching weather.