You're probably wondering why I'm starting this blog with a video. I was trying to find one that conveyed a similar message to mine. These young ladies did a dynamite job teaching, "Tornado Safety." I think you'll agree, everyone in your family will benefit from these 9 minutes. Turn up your volume and get ready to learn the basics everyone should know.
A short time later the tornado sirens went off. I immediately looked up the National Weather Service. There were funnel clouds in the town next to us just 10-15 minutes away. I called my sister (as I always do) and her daughter answered.
She was home alone watching TV but no sirens were going off. There was a red line going across the bottom of her TV. She asked what she should do. I told her to take two pillows and a blanket into the cellar and call her parents. She wanted to stay on the phone but I told her I had to get to her aunt's house and I'd call her when I got there.
My other sister and I already had a plan that I would get to her house. I live in a mobile home. The National Weather Service said there would be damaging winds and destruction to mobile homes. The tornado siren stopped but then the horrendous rain fell in sheets. It was so loud I'd never heard anything like it before.
It was blowing branches and such all over the place. I was trying to decide whether or not to leave my kitties. It was at that moment that this thought came into my mind: "Amy, you are responsible for keeping yourself alive for your family and your friends. Your cats will take care of themselves."
I grabbed my laptop, said a word to my cats then tried to run through the rain. I was completely soaked from head to toe by the time I was in my car. Because of the temperature difference, my car was fogged up on the inside so I cranked the defogger and started to slowly drive toward my sisters. There were many others who had already left the mobile home park.
When I arrived at my sister's house there were no tornado sirens. I had to walk through the same heavy sheets of rain so I got soaked all over again. She was not home from work yet. I remember standing in the foyer cold, wet and a little bit in shock. I called my mom on the way and she stayed on the phone with me. Now all I needed was a hot shower and dry clothes.
This experience taught me many things:
- Have a plan on where to go if your home is not safe.
- Remember God cares about your animals that are left behind.
- Everything you leave behind is only stuff (I grabbed my sister's laptop).
- Talking on the phone while driving in this storm was okay.
- Processing your feelings afterward with your therapist or a trusted friend is healthy.
- Know your limits. If you're too afraid to drive far, go to your police or fire station.
- Let someone know where you are headed to take shelter.
- Pray to God and ask Him to guide you.
- Seek Him so that you do not feel alone.
- Trust Him so that whatever happens, you know He's holding you in the palm of His hand.
Sirens are not so scary when all of these steps are put into place. I've never been in a tornado so I cannot say these steps will take away that fear. All I can say is weather used to scare me and give me really bad panic attacks. Since I've been exposing myself to it little by little I don't get as scared as often.
My prayer for all of us is to have peace beyond all understanding because our God reigns.
