Top Ten Lessons for Living in Tornado Ville

We're anticipating tornadoes overnight. I'm writing this today because who knows? Maybe I won't be here tomorrow? Or maybe I'll be here, but the house will be in Oz or some other fantasy world. I never thought I'd live in a place where I'd be hiding from tornadoes many months out of the year, but here I am. Don't have to like the situation, but I have accepted the reality.

Here's what really makes me scared about tonight. All the tornado events that occurred on April 27th. We were slammed hard. We lost power and lives and homes. And we were forgotten. Yup. Out of all the massive weather events that required FEMA to help, Alabama got the least amount of the moola. I don't care for myself. I have insurance and I have the financial means to crawl out of a disaster, but many do not.

Now I'm also lucky because we could afford to build a tornado shelter. I love that it is above ground, weighs a ton and will protect me, the fur babies, the Teen and the Physicist. I wish I could protect more people in my 4x6x6, but I can't.

Which leads to the valuable conclusion that I am not all-powerful and important and special. I am human. This one is up to the Universe and God. I ask WHY NOT ME more often than Why Me so I have been very fortunate and blessed and spared from lots of things for reasons that go beyond my understanding.

So having said all this--here goes my take on surviving these events.

Top Ten Lessons for Living in Tornado Ville for the Non-Survivalists (people who stock up food for 6 months-have bomb shelters-think we'll be taken captive by mutant aliens to name a few)  in Northern AL


1. Have all cars' gas tanks full.
2. Make sure you have cash--at least $100 if not more.
3. Gather all your important papers and put into a file that is easy to carry to a safe place. For us it is a shelter. For you it might be an interior closet or bathroom.
4. Have all computers and phones and purses and wallets and chargers loaded in a bag ready to go to your shelter or safe room.
5. Be sure you have closed toe shoes and comfortable clothing in the shelter and/or near the door/or on your body.
6. Have blankets and pillows loaded in shelter or near safe room.
7. If you have a shelter, stock it with water and basic supplies but really? It won't hold 6 months food supplies so don't go too crazy. Assume you'll only be there for about 20  minutes.
8. Get emergency radio and so forth locked and loaded.
9. Keep TV on for weather alerts--I have the station call me with weather alerts on my cell phone and home phone for a small fee.
10. Don't bother cleaning the house--just chill and be aware.

Oh, and on your way out to the storm shelter or to the interior bathroom, grab a corkscrew and a bottle of wine. If you're going to lose everything, you may as well get a bit tipsy.

Powerless in Madison

We've been without power for several days, but we aren't directly coping with it because we're in Nashville till it is restored. There are several neighborhoods around my neighborhood that are back to power thanks to the hard work of the Huntsville Utilities Board. I'm not sure how they are restoring it or what their plan for restoration is, but I hope people can hang tight till they are back on the grid.

Today we head to a hotel, then back to Madison to check on our kitties. The HU has asked us all to prepare our homes for when the power comes back on. We have to unplug small appliances, unplug the computers, turn off lights, and cut the breaker to the hot water tank. All this to prevent damage to our stuff. In a way I am glad we don't have power because I've got to get home to get these things done.

It's weird being a nomad. I haven't written a word. I've talked about writing. But no time to write. And that's okay. This waiting time is okay. I'll be back in front of my computer soon enough. Others will not be so lucky.

We may not have electrical power, but we have other powers to draw from as we weather the next few days. Throughout all of this I hope to maintain a sense of humor and a measure of patience along with a huge dollop of gratitude.

We are beyond lucky!