Once again, it’s that magical time of the year when we run the heat at night and the AC during the day.
We wear layers because we never know when we’ll need to add or shed a garment. Last weekend, many locals mowed their lawn for the first time, some of us mowed with a deep and grating reluctance.
The weather is about to do anything at all, and that’s exactly what we all need to be prepared for: anything at all.
This is the season of thunderstorms, flash floods, high winds, wildfires and tornadoes. We can see temperatures climb or drop by fifty degrees almost instantly. Hail is pretty normal at this time of year. Straight-line winds can knock things down, things like tree limbs, shingles and pieces of gutters. I once saw my neighbor’s mailbox sailing down the street. I retrieved it for them when the wind died down.
We all know that tornado season happens every year, and we all try to be prepared. The outdoor warning sirens are conveniently located, with sirens in three places in West Liberty, as well as the sirens in Nichols and Atalissa.
The sirens are outrageously loud if you’re near them, and folks way out in the country can hear them too.
The sirens are automated by Muscatine County Emergency Management and are part of a state-wide alert system.
We think of them as tornado sirens, but they're actually intended as a warning system to those working outdoors, and their sound can mean a variety of things, not just tornadoes.
When you hear the sirens, take shelter. The siren might be warning of a tornado nearby, a flash flood, high wind, or hail, to name a few.
Surely there’s a good reason and your best course of action is to head for your nearest shelter and wait for more information.
If you are working outdoors when the sirens go off, get indoors as quickly as possible. If you really can’t hide from a tornado indoors, lie down in a ditch and hold on to your hat.
Fire Chief Kirt Sickels also had some good advice.
“It is not the wind inside and around a tornado that kills and injures people; it's the flying debris that's in the wind,” Sickels said. “Items can fly through the air.” These items could be small, like bits of broken glass, or as large as cars.
Those of us who have a basement are always ready to hunker down and stay safe, but not everyone has that luxury.
For those of us who live in apartments, ranch houses, mobile homes or other above-ground dwellings, basements aren’t always an option.
Where can you go?
Well, if your only option is to stay at home, an interior hallway is a good start. You can lie down in the bathtub or under the bed.
Avoid windows and try to find interior areas that are tightly compacted. Often, meteorologists know when the conditions are right for producing tornadic activity, so if you can plan ahead at all, there are a few places in town that welcome visitors during a storm.
St. Joseph’s is one such place, and Father Guillermo Treviño Jr. will be at the church with doors open.
“When there is a tornado warning, the basement is available for shelter,” Treviño said. Check with the church in your neighborhood and you will find that this policy is common.
And when you head to your safe place, bring a few useful items with you, just in case you’re there for a while.
Pack a bag in advance, and make sure it has flashlights with fresh batteries, bottles of water and snacks.
If you have a hard hat or bike helmet, wear it in case of falling or flying debris. Make sure your shoes are sturdy and preferably waterproof.
Grab your purse or wallet, keys and phone. If you have pets you’ll be sheltering with, make sure they’ve got water too.
And if the worst does happen, Muscatine County is well prepared. The county has access to grant money through FEMA, and has used the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program to acquire flood damaged properties after the 1993 and 2008 floods The West Liberty Community School District has used the HMGP to modify the wrestling room at the high school to create a tornado safe room.
If your property is damaged during inclement weather, you can request funding through Muscatine County Emergency Management, located at 414 East 3rd Street in Muscatine.
As always, our local EMS heroes are ready to help whenever they’re needed.
Whatever you do during inclement weather, please don’t stand out on your porch pointing at the funnel clouds.