So, if you follow my Twitter feed or Facebook statuses… statum… stati… whatever… then you know that we’ve had some rotten weather this Spring and last night specifically.

With the horror stories of massive tornadoes this year, Tammy and I were both thinking about emergency planning. I did some research on the subject and found that we were missing some important aspects. (Below are some things for you to think about too!) Purely by coincidence we had just discussed emergency plans and what we were missing in our storm shelter not knowing that six hours later, we’d be cozied up in that same, very recently stocked, shelter.

Our storm closet is right off the living room, so we spent most of the evening sitting on the floor outside the closet door, where we could still see the TV, dressed in our motorcycle gear for maximum protection. The local weather guys were frantically trying to follow the storm that had three main parts, all tracking across the metroplex, and all producing dangerous rotations, straight line winds, and very large hail. Many of our friends and coworkers suffered damage from wind and baseball sized hail!

A storm chaser reported a large rotation less than a mile from our house and within seconds there was a brief roar of wind that made our whole house creak. It only lasted for a couple of seconds, but it made me glad we were in our shelter with our motorcycle gear on, ready for the worst.

After the weather cleared, we checked over the house and everything seemed intact. This morning, Tammy checked out the neighborhood. A half a block away, several fences and trees were totaled. One house lost their covered porch. The porch roof folded up onto the house roof. Thank you, God, for protecting us!!

[Click these pictures to see larger versions.]

Emergency Preparedness

At Home:

Shelter: Designate a small, internal (no windows) room or closet on the lowest floor (basement is best) to be your storm shelter. Bathrooms are good, especially if there is a bathtub. Store in this room: flashlight, first aide kit, blankets, water, a battery or hand-crank radio (make sure it gets good reception in that room). Also recommended: goggles/eye protection, dust masks, a mattress or other form of padding to protect you from debris. And don’t forget extra clothes and sturdy shoes.

Disasters often happen at night, so you might just make it into your shelter in your jammies (if you wear jammies *wink*). You don’t want to crawl out of the wreckage of your house naked and barefoot! And, in case you are trapped in the rubble, you need to be able to survive for a few days with only what is in your shelter.

We chose the large closet under our staircase. We already store our motorcycle gear there, so it’s convenient to put it on for protection.

Supplies: In case you are stranded at home or conveniences are unavailable, you should have everything you need to survive for a week. Obviously: non-perishable food and water (1 gallon per person per day). Less obvious, but just as necessary: Toilet paper, medications, feminine products, person protection (That you know how to use!!), and first aide (That you know how to use!!)

We have a stash in our shelter closet and always have a pile of Cliff Bars, canned food, and water in the kitchen.

Away From Home:

Meeting Points: What if a massive tornado hits your work place or school? Your car will be destroyed and your cell phone won’t work. What if your neighborhood is destroyed while you are away. The police will probably block off the entire area to prevent looting. How will you find each other.

For every location that you spend a lot of time, you need to have a near-by meeting point. Not so near that it would also be destroyed, but near enough that you could walk there. Even better if it’s on or near a major road or highway so your loved ones will be able to get there easily. Pick a place small enough that you won’t be lost in a crowd. Walmart: no. Starbucks: yes.