Wednesday, December 14, 2011—Keeping a weather-eye on the horizon…
Growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, I got very used to my Dad checking the weather several times each day. When the weather came on the TV or radio, we knew to be quiet. As an adult, I’ve always been in the habit of checking the weather every morning. Now that we are full-timing, we all check it several times each day. We don’t check it out of panic, but out of necessity. Our new home is more susceptible to wind, rain, hail, or other types of weather related damage. We check the wind speed each night before we go to bed. Our awning and screen room could be ripped apart in seconds which would be expensive to replace. A camper is not sufficient shelter during severe weather so every now and then we discuss with the girls our severe weather plan and what to do in different situations. We always make sure that we know the best place to shelter in every park in which we stay.
We’ve been through a few severe storms already. Once we bailed, and went to a Wal-Mart when a tornado was spotted close by. Wal-Marts aren’t tornado proof but one has a better chance there than in a trailer or campground bathroom. Most of the time we aren’t close enough, however, so the campground bathroom or laundry room has to do. Two of our daughters went through a very severe storm in Michigan that was unexpected and sudden. Fortunately, they kept their heads, did exactly as we said via the phone and made it to safety. Keeping them educated is essential.
Today has been one of those days in which we’ve had to check the weather several times as there has been a possibility of severe weather all day. We aren’t used to this area yet we know how bad their weather can be. The lightning alone is scarier than what we are used to in MI. Everyone knows about Texas tornadoes. The bottom line is that first we trust in the God who created the storm and who cares for us. Second we prepare as much as we can.