Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Tornado Watch 2010
We don't get many tornadoes in California, but they do happen! Not very many years ago, a tornado (small) took part of a roof off of a home not very far from where I live now. I've been in two near tornadoes before ... one in Washington DC (green clouds, rain, super cold, hail, and then the dread funnel cloud ... I nearly had a stroke) and the other in Sacramento! Yep, I was on the freeway in Sacramento (California's capital) when I had to pull over, along with everyone else, as the largest hail I'd ever experienced made driving impossible (out of the blue), in the summer, and I watched in horror as a tornado funnel started forming. Good thing it dissipated!
We're in the midst of a monster storm over here in California. It sometimes feels like a hurricane with the rain and wind, but until Dennice tweeted about a tornado alert in the southern part of the state, it never occurred to me that tornadoes were a possibility!
Nevertheless, I stocked up on food today (having gnawed on the last bit of produce left in my fridge the day before) in spite of the rain and wind, but cut my long list of errands short when the emergency alert system cut into my radio time with ... a tornado alert! Like, a tornado was imminent and the alert would be cancelled in nine minutes (that imminent). Not very specific - just a storm front capable of producing huge hail and a tornado.
My house would withstand a tornado for about, oh, say, 0.000001 nanoseconds? I'm watching a huge front of heavy black clouds moving steadily from the south and I live in the southwestern edge of the Silicon Valley.
Oy.
I cut my list of errands short and headed home, with no chance of getting home in time to save kitties should a tornado actually occur.
So I took my chances and stopped for groceries anyway.
Sorry kitties!
(p.s., no kitties were harmed in the making of this blog post; in fact, they were elated that I not only brought home tuna, but also kitty grass for chomping.)
Needless to say, no tornadoes, but good grief, how do you all who live with tornado warnings not have continual strokes???
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3 comments:
basements! basements are the key to avoiding round-the-clock panic. that, and...not thinking about it too much. i shouldn't really talk, though, i live in the city where it's not so bad, and have only experienced actual tornado sirens and touchdowns twice. it's much worse out in the cornfields. eek. anyway, i'm glad you and the kitties are ok! stay safe. xo
well, being a kansas girl, I guess we're just accustomed to it. And as kateri said.. basements are the key. I'm glad you're safe! :)
Basements and Bay Area earthquakes don't mix! Tornadoes in Chicago, Kateri?? Wow.
I learned yesterday that tornadoes are actually not uncommon in California, but they're usually in the Winter, rather than the warmer months.
Kansas, Ngan! Tornado warnings must have been pretty routine for you!
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