Thursday, February 7, 2008

A Little Too Calm During the Storm

So apparently the storms that came through here the other day were actually a huge deal. I heard that they were some of the worst seen in the last decade or so…which makes me kinda puzzled.

You see, I was at my apartment’s gym, working out, and could see the lightening flashes, the downpour of rain, and hear the gusts of wind – but didn’t think anything about it despite normal programming being interrupted to warn about the twister formations. Didn't consider that I should go into a room that wasn't lined with large windows, or that I probably shouldn't have walked back home when the red from the doppler radar was centered around where we live. Even though I know the warmth that day would surely lead to tornado conditions and the storm was definitely making some trouble, I didn’t seem to care.

Since moving to this area I've had some history with severe weather, but have been less than concerned about it.

When I was in undergrad I apparently wasn’t aware of the tornado siren and walked to class while one was within a few miles. Some of my classmates yelled at me when I walked into the building for being an idiot and witnessed the proximity of the destruction later as I drove home.

Another time the store where I was a security manager* had the roof severely damaged by hail and high winds while a tornado ripped through a rural area 5 miles away. When it began to rain the water poured through into our building, causing some of the lights to spark and forcing us to use tarps and turn off all but the most essential lights. Maybe my calmness resulted from the fact that we were ordered by the district manager to stay open – despite the water coming in everywhere and lights shooting off sparks. I’m surprised no one was hurt.

So what I’m saying, I guess, is that I might want to take these warnings a little more seriously. My family and everyone we know are OK, but jeez. After all, it’s people like me who end up getting carried away, into Munchkin Land, because we’re walking around like idiots.

* Call me rent-a-cop and I'll kick your ass!

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