Do You Enjoy Last Minute Preparedness Right Before A Storm?

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Sentry18

Sentry18

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https://modernsurvivalblog.com/weather-preparedness/last-minute-preparedness-before-a-storm/

Do You Enjoy Last Minute Preparedness Right Before A Storm?
by Ken Jorgustin | Updated Jan 11, 2020 | WEATHER PREPAREDNESS |

cloud-to-ground-lightning.jpg

How many of you are like this? I know that it’s true for me… When there’s a potentially major storm coming (usually having been forecast), I enjoy the last minute preparations and the event itself. Why is that?

There’s an amount of excitement during the last minute process of readiness before a storm.

Maybe it’s a winter snowstorm that’s going to dump a lot of snow. Or maybe a high wind event. A severe thunderstorm. The possibility of a tornado. A hurricane. Tonight where I live there might be an ice-storm event and potential power outages (my inspiration for posting this).

I have always enjoyed “weather”. Especially severe weather. Is that weird?

Maybe I should have gone into a professional meteorological career.

So, why is it exciting?
Good question. Maybe it’s just my disposition.

I enjoy running through a last minute checklist in my head. Getting ready.

I ask myself, what specific things should I do to get ready for this? Are my generators ready? Do I have enough fuel? Does my alt-energy battery bank have enough charge? Do I need to put anything away? Is the snowblower ready? Maybe bring in a few extra bags of pellets for the stove? Disconnect my outdoor VHF/UHF radio antenna (lightning)? Etc..

Run to the store and grab all the bread, milk & eggs I can find (just kidding)? (That’s what everyone else is doing…)

Then I’m ready. The weather event arrives. Sometimes it is as forecast. Other times not as bad. While once in awhile it’s worse.

I watch it from the safety of my castle. Looking out the windows as it passes over/through (unless something like a tornado!).

Now it’s over. Time to venture outside. Assess damage, if any. The work begins. The cleanup.

Is it fun for any of you too?

Incidentally, I took the photo above a few years ago. The lightning storm was so intense that all I had to do was keep snapping pictures – many of which captured lightning bolts. It was insane! And deafening!
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OK, I'll admit I kind of like it. Won't run to the store or anything but just put finishing touches on things.

What I normally enjoy more is watching the storm/event itself. If a storm hits during the day, I'm more apt to opening the big barn door, pulling up a chair just inside and watching the event unfold.
 
Sounds a lot like me Sentry. Storms are exhilerating to me. Like ZoomZoom said I like being nearby outside to get the full experience. Just last night I was sitting in the basement with the garage door open watching the storm approach, distant thunder, and then much closer thunder and lighting appearing. Rain start pouring down, wind howling. Finally got dark and I went on up in the house and exjoyed the light show till it passed.
I try and keep things prepped for storms since we are likely to get them any time of the year. So last minute stuff is final charge on the radio batteries, putting up anything that needs to be. Maybe cook some food in advance if we think power could go out. Then sit back, monitor, and enjoy.
 
I'm more like this.
A farmer needed an extra hand to help on his farm. One young man came to interview for the job. "What are your qualifications?" the farmer asked. "I can sleep when the wind blows," the young man said. This simple reply confused the farmer, but he was desperate for help and the young man was hired. The young man was a diligent worker through the harvest season, but the farmer still questioned his answer.

Autumn ended and the first cold storm of winter came late one night. The farmer panicked as the winds began to blow. Calling the young man for help, the farmer grabbed his coat and pulled heavy boots on his feet. He was disappointed to find the young man asleep in bed at a time like this.

Grudgingly he ventured out alone planning to shuffle all of the animals in the barn, and then fix that last hole in the roof. He mumbled about the young man sleeping and was sure all the farm equipment was left standing in the field, collecting rust from the snow.

However, when the farmer reached the barn all the animals were tucked safely inside. In fact, clean hay had already been set out for the new day. Not a single hole could be found in the roof, and the tractor was parked perfectly in the shed. "Who could have done it?" the farmer wondered. And then, he realized what the young man's answer meant, "I can sleep when the wind blows."
 
I love a good storm! It doesn't matter the time of year to me either.....love em all. In the summer I like to be outdoors just before the rain starts. The electricity in the air and that storm smell is exhilarating! I also love snow storms. I get into my cozy jammies and grab a cup of joe and a good book and snuggle up on the couch and watch it happen. It's been a while since we've had a good day storm to watch.:( Of coarse, I don't have to deal with the plowing after the fact.:p All I have to do is shovel off the porches, so I've got it pretty easy.

The only thing we do is make sure the vehicles are full of gas and make a quick trip to the grocery store for fresh veges and snacks. Other than that, we are all set. Like Backpacker, I also like to make some goodies ahead of time. It's almost like an 'event' for me. I really hate it when the weather man calls for a big storm and we get nothing like what was predicted.gaah If I lived in Florida, I'd probably be one of those people who have the hurricane parties.drink buddy
 
angie_nrs said:
I love a good storm! It doesn't matter the time of year to me either.....love em all. In the summer I like to be outdoors just before the rain starts. The electricity in the air and that storm smell is exhilarating! I also love snow storms. I get into my cozy jammies and grab a cup of joe and a good book and snuggle up on the couch and watch it happen. It's been a while since we've had a good day storm to watch.:( Of coarse, I don't have to deal with the plowing after the fact.:p All I have to do is shovel off the porches, so I've got it pretty easy.

The only thing we do is make sure the vehicles are full of gas and make a quick trip to the grocery store for fresh veges and snacks. Other than that, we are all set. Like Backpacker, I also like to make some goodies ahead of time. It's almost like an 'event' for me. I really hate it when the weather man calls for a big storm and we get nothing like what was predicted.gaah If I lived in Florida, I'd probably be one of those people who have the hurricane parties.drink buddy
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Here we the true Northerners have cyclone parties because cyclones happen every wet season and we start preparing in October.
It's the Southerners who race about like chickens with their heads cut off panic buying milk and bread at the grocery store.

Cyclone parties help to eat down fridge and freezer stocks in the event of a prolonged power outage.
It also strengths community and friendships before a very trying natural event.
 
About the only thing I do is add more wood to the firewood rack so that I don't have to be messing around in the rain or snow. I always try to stay a huge step ahead of any storm, I really dislike being unprepared. About the only other last minute prepping I do is to make sure the drainage ditches are clear above the house to keep excess water away from around the house.
 
angie_nrs said:
I really hate it when the weather man calls for a big storm and we get nothing like what was predicted.
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So like 90% of the time? :D

The state climatologist once told me that network news weather was like CNN: the more the sensation and hype the weather provides the more viewers they get, the more viewers means more advertising dollars, more dollars means happier bosses. When a storm actually hits they need to preempt shows and act like armegedon is upon us, then everyone tunes in and their ratings skyrocket. Which again means more $$$. So we have fake news and we have fake weather.

Now I only check NOAA.
 
My answer would be categorically NO. I don't like the crowds, and people are even more stupid when they are panic buying. I like to think that I am 99% ready all the time, and don't have to panic buy. I have lived in this area for 45 years, and I could count on one hand with fingers left over the number of days I was housebound, due to weather, and the worst of that was a day and a half.

I guess I would say I am just the opposite. It is very comforting to know that I DON'T have to make last minute preparations before a storm.
 
angie_nrs said:
I really hate it when the weatherman calls for a big storm and we get nothing like what was predicted.
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The weather guessers are getting a little better but they still hype any event to get people to listen read or watch.
Seattle was the absolute worst for overhyping the weather. Every winter there would be"the great winter storm" of whatever year it was.
The reporters would go out in their LL Bean winter parkas and show the 1 or 2 inches of snow and predict doom and gloom.
At least the weather forecasting is better than it was in 1949.
 
Sentry18 said:
So like 90% of the time? :D

The state climatologist once told me that network news weather was like CNN: the more the sensation and hype the weather provides the more viewers they get, the more viewers means more advertising dollars, more dollars means happier bosses. When a storm actually hits they need to preempt shows and act like armegedon is upon us, then everyone tunes in and their ratings skyrocket. Which again means more $$$. So we have fake news and we have fake weather.

Now I only check NOAA.
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Yeah, hubs and I have speculated that it's for increased tourism bucks. Every time they predict a big snow storm, there's a bunch of folks heading to the snow with their snowmobiles and $$$. Also in the summer most of those storms (and rain) are not predicted on the weekends. We wouldn't want to discourage those summer weekend warriors from heading to the beach or lakes now would we?:rolleyes: For our weekend plans during the summer we are more apt to check the radar instead of watching the weather forecast.

Morgan101 said:
I have lived in this area for 45 years, and I could count on one hand with fingers left over the number of days I was housebound, due to weather, and the worst of that was a day and a half.

I guess I would say I am just the opposite. It is very comforting to know that I DON'T have to make last minute preparations before a storm.
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Same here. I've never seen any panic buying here, even if a big storm is predicted. Perhaps a few more cars in the parking lot at the local grocery store, but nothing even close to being a "panic" buying situation. The shelves are all still full. I typically go to the grocery store maybe once per week anyways so I'll just buy a few extras if there is a big storm predicted. Not much, since the predictions are almost always wrong and we are already prepared for a storm. We wouldn't lose any weight if we actually were snowed in for days or weeks.:confused: That would have to be one heck of a storm though since hubs has all kinds of equipment to remove snow and we have snowmobiles ready to go if the need would ever arise, although I'm not sure why we would need to go anywhere except for a medical emergency. I think the power was out due to ice for 3 days back in 2012 or about that time. Our road was like a ghost town.....it was pretty weird. It didn't affect our lives much, if at all.

I remember when I was a kid, we'd have to shovel off the roof b/c the snow was accumulating so quickly, and then we'd just jump off the roof into the snow pile below. That was fun! We haven't had to shovel off the roof in a VERY long time.
 
Mea Culpa. There is one thing I panic buy. When the weather forecast calls for extreme cold I will buy a few bottles of HEAT to put in our cars. That is something I swear by.
 
backlash said:
The weather guessers are getting a little better but they still hype any event to get people to listen read or watch.
Seattle was the absolute worst for overhyping the weather. Every winter there would be"the great winter storm" of whatever year it was.
The reporters would go out in their LL Bean winter parkas and show the 1 or 2 inches of snow and predict doom and gloom.
At least the weather forecasting is better than it was in 1949.
Click to expand...

I wrote about the Blizzard of January 1950 on another thread here, but that storm was very bad and I remember how it started as I was in an elementary school when in the middle of the day it sounded like sand pelting the windows, we were told to get our coats on and grab our lunch buckets and get on the bus. By the time I got to my bus stop you couldn't see your hand if you extended it away from your body, my foster dad met me at the stop to take me home, that storm was not something I'd want to go through again and maybe that is why I strive to be prepared now. We didn't get a TV until 1956 and in those days the radio had all the real news and weather warnings.
 
jimLE said:
i do a last minute shopping trip if needed.but only if what I'm gonna get IS needed.even then.it's most and likely just a hand full of items.other then that.I'm at home doing what's needed to prepare for the incoming storm.
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We have been thru the drill so many times, it's just a giant yawn.
Everybody already has batteries, plywood and a generator. Food always stays stocked ahead.:rolleyes:
I get to buy beer and gas.:green man:
...And we are ready for a week of anything.:)
(Of course, when the weather doesn't show up, I am punished by having to drink all that beer. Oh,The horror!:eek:)
 
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I'll confess: absolutely love getting ready for an approaching storm. No last-minute dashes to the store or anything like that. Walk around the property, make sure things are tied down and windows are closed. Then pull up a chair on which ever covered porch offers the better view and watch/feel the storm roll on in.
 
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