Storm Chasers

This year may be one of the deadliest on record as far as tornadoes go, yet people are still fascinated by these storms. While most of us prefer to be as far from a tornado as possible, there are people, known as storm chasers, who actually go hunting for tornadoes. Storm chasers not only capture incredible footage of these destructive storms, but many also help gather important research so we can know more about what makes tornadoes tick. By knowing as much as possible about tornadoes, we can better protect ourselves against them. The very first storm chaser was believed … Continue reading

Murphy, Tornadoes, and One Ruff Night

Just shy of a month ago violent weather hit one afternoon and caused Murphy, Mr. Meow, Tabby, and I to huddle together in the laundry room due to potentially tornadic activity heading our way. If you’ve caught any of the news today, you’re well aware Tennessee was one of the states ravaged by bad weather once again last night. It was a dark and stormy night… There were tornadoes in the Nashville area around 10 p.m., but not near where we live. Thankfully we weren’t forced to seek refuge in the laundry room again. (But I did have everything set … Continue reading

Home and Garden Week in Review: Sep. 18-24

Here’s a list of this week’s titles. Everything from Glassware to Energy and all kinds of other stuff in between. To see these articles in full, just click here for the Home Blog archive, and click on the titles you’d like to read. September 18 * Glassware: Whatever Does It Mean? * Dining Room Equipment: Tablecloths * A Unique Way To Bring Peace To Your Home * Go with the Flow with a Pass Through September 19 * Not Your Basic Bookends * Measuring Cups: A Formidable Past * Sassy Sinks * Your Home: A to Z * Stainmaster Carpet … Continue reading

Wicked Weekend Weather in the Ozarks

I awoke early Friday morning to tornado warnings. Kind of an ominous way to start the day especially considering the fact that violent storms usually occur in the afternoon, evening, and nighttime hours. It promised to be an interesting day. Well, the weather did not disappoint. About 2:30 that afternoon, the sky took on an eerie cast and lightning began dancing through the heavens. It was a regular light show, although as fascinating as it was it was also a little frightening. I decided I’d run down to the school (nearly 20 miles) and grab my kids, so they wouldn’t … Continue reading

Saturday’s Storms

I awoke Saturday morning about 8:30 a.m. to lightning, thunder, and incredibly heavy rain. It was raining so hard, that the noise made it difficult to hear my husband speaking. It let up enough to hear, but it continued to pour. Soon, there was about 6” of standing water in our yard, and what my five year old dubbed “our river” rushing down toward the road. As of about 11:30 a.m., the thunder was so strong that the ground was rumbling. Estimates indicate that we have had around 10” of rain since yesterday morning and it doesn’t appear as if … Continue reading

Wicked Weekend Weather, Part II

(continued) We pulled into the bus stop and saw the bus approaching from a few blocks away. Just then, a huge bolt of lightning hit the ground on the other side of the highway. It startled me so badly that I screamed, and I could only imagine how scared my kids must be on the bus! Thankfully, the storm was moving very fast and the sky was beginning to clear before we even arrived at home. We were a little shaken and kept the television on to keep track of the weather. The local station indicated that it was going … Continue reading

Hurricanes: Planning for Evacuation

Evacuation due to a hurricane brings many things to mind. You may think of being stuck in the car in awful traffic for hours. You may worry about leaving your home and possessions behind. And you may worry about where you are going to stay during the period of evacuation. Once you have formed an evacuation plan then you most of these concerns will be resolved, and you will be order to move forward quickly. The first thing you should do is decide where you will stay during an evacuation. If you have family and friends in a nearby area, … Continue reading

Home and Family Severe Weather Tips

We are moving into the severe weather season. While severe weather is usually at its most dangerous during spring months and often into summer, it can arise any time of year, in any area. Severe weather threats can include downpours, flooding, powerful lightning and thunderstorms, violent winds, damaging hail and of course tornadoes. Any of these can become a threat to your home and your family. The best way to keep your home and family safe is to know what to expect and to know how to react when storms strike. Most severe storms and tornadoes occur in the afternoon … Continue reading