Weather Paranoia

[Tiramisu]

I am one of the most paranoid people I know when it comes to weather. I have a huge hurricane supply stash and almost go into a panic when bad weather's coming, lighting candles, setting out kerosene lamps, calling all my family to see where they'll be, etc.

We're in the outlying area (Northeast) of Houston and it's supposed to be below freezing for several hours tonight. It got really cold last night and I paced the floor most of the night worrying about kids, dogs, and family. I was constantly checking on my doggies. I even put a thermometer on the floor to watch the temp there by them.

I rode to work with my hubby today (we work about 3 miles from each other) so my daughter could use my Tahoe to go out of town for a funeral. I usually come in around 7 and leave by 4, so now I'm waiting on him to come get me - worrying about the weather - need to get home before dark - need to take the doggies out. I'm off my schedule!

[Ponyup]

If you're worried about it being below freezing there, then I won't tell you the weather we're having up here.

I get very nervous in tornado weather....i can't sleep through a storm to save my life. I also have a free of losing power in the winter, at least when you lose power in the summer you won't freeze to death.

[Tink]

I live in Wisconsin which means we have a lot of weather extremes.
It's been -70 with windchill and well over 100 here all in the same year.

We have blizzards, ice storms, tornadoes and floods.

I don't let the weather worry me. I try to stay informed so I can be prepared and stay home when it's bad, but since no one can control the weather anyway, I just put it in Gods hands and wait it out.
If it's terribly cold I just bring all the critters indoors and let them cuddle with me. LOL

[Gina]

Wow , girls I hope you all stay warm and safe.. Here in the Northeast its cold tonight 20's . It is suppose to warm up by weekend I heard high 50's crazy right.

[Marilyn]

Gina, what's crazy is that your in NJ and we're in TX and the weather is about the same right now. When I got up this morning, it was 26. Hubby had to bring my potted plants inside last night. Should warm up in a couple of days though.

Tiramisu, I'm with Tink. We're not in control anyway, and if we stay informed and have done responsible preparation, we can sleep when the wind blows.

As far as hurricanes go, we run if it's more than a Cat 2. Protect the important stuff and leave the coast!!

[rivermom]

Is it spring yet??

[Janet]

I've never really been fearful of the weather. Right now in central Indiana it's 11 degrees with a windchill of -10. The temp is suppose to get to a low of 3 degrees tonight. By Saturday it's suppose to be in the high 40's and Monday in the 50's.
We have a fireplace insert to keep warm if the power goes out. We also have a generator. When we had an ice storm back in 1991, my son was only 2 months old and we lost power for over 2 weeks...well some of the neighbors did..hubby couldn't stand it and after 8 days went and bought a generator.

Spring and summer we have a lot of tornado warnings, but I just go to sleep. There is only one time we packed up all the dogs and headed out. There is really nothing we can do about it so I don't let it bother me. My husband on the other hand is constantly going from window to window or going outside to check the skies.

That's what I keep asking Sheryl....HOW MUCH LONGER TILL SPRING!!!

[janc]

I have the same problem. When the power went out this morning, my first thought was - the pipes are going to freeze and it is going to be a mess. I'm sick of messes.

[janc]

Janet, your husband sounds like me. Our neighbors have told us about the big freeze in the 90's. They were without power for 10 days. Mel was using an ax to bust up the ice in the pond so they would have water for drinking and flushing. You're right that worrying doesn't make it better but my favorite thing to say is "What if!"

[DianaB]

I am one of the most paranoid people I know when it comes to weather. I have a huge hurricane supply stash and almost go into a panic when bad weather's coming, lighting candles, setting out kerosene lamps, calling all my family to see where they'll be, etc.

We're in the outlying area (Northeast) of Houston and it's supposed to be below freezing for several hours tonight. It got really cold last night and I paced the floor most of the night worrying about kids, dogs, and family. I was constantly checking on my doggies. I even put a thermometer on the floor to watch the temp there by them.

I rode to work with my hubby today (we work about 3 miles from each other) so my daughter could use my Tahoe to go out of town for a funeral. I usually come in around 7 and leave by 4, so now I'm waiting on him to come get me - worrying about the weather - need to get home before dark - need to take the doggies out. I'm off my schedule!

There's not anything wrong with being prepared for the worst, but after you're prepared then you have to place it in God's hands. I know that Texas doesn't have very bad winter conditions and if you do it warms right back up pretty soon. Enjoy the cold spell to sit by a warm fire and drink something warm while wrapped up in a warm blanket because you know that in a couple of days things will be back to normal.

[Janet]

Great advice Diana.

[rivermom]

We have a cellar here at the house we are to use if a tornado comes or whatever. It's sapposed to be my wine cellar but we wont get into that discussion right now.

Anyway - All these years later and whenever a tornado warning/watch is present hubby and I are too busy trying to "get organized" that we never make it to the cellar. One of us usually is yelling out "where's that damn flashlight?!!?" My point is that being prepared is good. I could learn to be like that. But being paranoid or worried about such things outta our hands is probably not so good. I know, I know...easier said then done.

[Janet]

I have a story...LOL

When Ricky went to a babysitter, we had her two sons come and spend the night one night. That night we had tornado warnings and storms all over central Indiana and particularly in our county. Their mom called just frantic saying that there was a tornado spotted on the ground southwest of them traveling northeast. She told me to hurry (I'm in direct line of her only about 10 miles farther northeast) and get the kids in the basement and to keep safe. All I could do is laugh (she's was a little too tightly wound at times) and tell her that she'd better get off the phone because it was going to hit her before it would hit me.

Rick took the boys to the storm cellar, but it was just too dirty and I had just taken my shower. So I just laid in bed and watched TV till they came back up.

[DianaB]

...........So I just laid in bed and watched TV till they came back up.

YOU LAID IN BED WITH A TORNADO HEADING YOUR WAY!!!!!!! You could have taken another shower, you know!!!! (Of course this is coming from someone who stood in the yard and watched one a little less than a mile from her home. Keep in mind that it wasn't very big!!)

[Janet]

I figured if it got closer I'd do something...I had the weather radio on..it can do all the work for me. I just hate crawling down in that cellar with all the cobwebs...yuck...the boys thought it was fun.

[rivermom]

Oh my gosh Janet! Tornado season will never be the same to me again. Anytime I ever hear now of a tornado in your area I'm gonna be wondering if you're down in that cellar or in bed watching tv.

You are something else!!!!! :D

[judy]

Here in NYC, we just don't have big weather issues. I have to laugh when the news comes on about a N'oreaster or a hurricane coming our way. Even a snowstorm usually doesn't amount to more than 3 inches!

The biggie this year was a real tornado that went in a straight line from NJ through Brooklyn, pretty close to my house. It ripped up a small park and some store signs and so on. Nobody got hurt thankfully.

The news people carried on like we were in Kansas!

[Janet]

My gosh, that's another stay I was wrong on the weather. I was wrong with Kansas and now Judy you're telling me my impression of weather in NY is wrong. I see on TV that they have blizzards and really deep snow and where you live only 3 inches?

I didn't even know NY had tornados. We have watches and warnings just about every time there is a storm anymore. Don't you worry about me Sheryl, you can bet when I need to seek shelter I will. I just don't panic like hubby does.

[judy]

NYC has very little weather. Upstate there are blizzards, etc. We do not get tornados, so you were right about that. This was a fluke. The whole country was having storms at that time - this past summer.

We have had 2 earthquakes in my lifetime - one I slept through and the other I didn't feel. They were very minor, but we are on a fault.

Today it's somewhere in the 50's and a beautiful day.

[Janet]

That 'stay' in my post should have been STATE. I was reading this thread again and it took me awhile to figure at what I was talking about...duh..I need to proof read.