Tornado Watch

Right now several counties in Central North Carolina are under tornado watch and/or flash food alerts.

I have to say, of all the "natural disasters", I hate tornadoes more than anything else, and, yes, this includes earthquakes!

First off, there is just general confusion regarding tornadoes. Tornado watch? Tornado warning? Which is more severe? If there is a watch, what should you do? Ditto warning?

Well, since we're in "watch" mood right now (in Wake county, not Durham but we live close to the Wake county border so I pay attention to Wake also) I decided I'd better figure out the difference!

Watch means conditions are ripe for a potential tornado. Doesn't that seem strange that in mid-December in North Carolina we'd have tornado like conditions? I always thought of tornadoes as a "summer" hazard. But, here it is, raining, thunderstorms, strong winds, and it is going to be 70 degrees.

So, what do you do in "watch"? Pretty much what the word indicates; watch and pay attention! For me this means keep the Internet up and on the local weather site, sign up for weather alerts and check email frequently AND (the worst for me) turn on the radio (this because I'm forced now to listen to all the damn commercials and inane chatter).

Warning means a tornado has actually been spotted in the area. This is pretty serious and if there is a warning anywhere in the vicinity of your county, the best thing to do is high-tail it to a room in your house with no windows (basement would be best but we don't have one of those). Oh, and try to corral all the pets and get them in there with you, too. And, hope and hope and hope your loved ones are safe.

So far, no warnings, just watches. But, they could turn into warnings pretty quickly.

Do I jump in the shower now? I really need to!

Ok, why do I hate tornadoes more than anything else? Exactly because of what I am going through. You know enough to be freaked out but not enough to know when and/ where one might touch ground. Or, what direction it will go once it does.

Earthquakes, well, you just don't know so you can't be overly freaked out unless you just want to be freaked out every second of every day of your life; people like this should not live in California!

Hurricanes you have sufficient notice to "prepare" and are usually a bit more traceable. Not that the damage is any less severe, of course.

I vividly recall being about three and there being a tornado sighting in our town. We did not have a basement so we ran down the street to a neighbor's house who did. I don't know where my Father was (probably at work because it was in the middle of the afternoon) but my mom was there holding my sister and me by the hand. It was so windy that I was literally blowing out behind her as she ran.

The other time my mom was also in attendance. This was right after the Indy 500 in May 2004. The sirens started going off while we were walking from the track to the RV. I was with mom and said, "What's that?" to which she replied, "Oh, that means there is a tornado in the area". She said it calm as you please; probably so that I wouldn't freak out.

We got to the RV where the rest of our gang was waiting for us. Everyone was freaked out while mom handed us pillows to clasp to our heads if one did land (a fat lot of good it would have done us had one actually struck the RV; that RV is big but not THAT big!) while cheerily saying, "Here! These are for you head! Now, who wants some meatloaf?" as my brother and I looked incredulously at each other.

So, yeah. Hate tornadoes, whether it be watch, warning or actual threats.

Maybe I'd best go make some meatloaf!

Mrs. B