“Wilder Life” Laughs… and Weather Safety

I finally had enough of a summer break to read The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure, a book that had been on my reading list since it was released several months ago.  It’s a great read for anybody who used to pretend that (s)he was showing Laura around our modern world and describing our modern life to her in language as poetic as Laura used to describe the scenery to Mary (whew…. I wasn’t the only one who did that!).  Of course, one part stands out to me, and it involves weather.  I literally laughed out loud when I was reading Wendy’s account of surviving a good Plains nighttime thunderstorm in her covered wagon shelter.  In fact, I even read parts of it out loud to hubby, because I knew he would appreciate it, where he otherwise leaves the Laura obsession to me.

We talk about weather safety a LOT in our industry.  Stay out of water and away from metal objects outdoors in the lightning.  Don’t go outside to collect hailstones while it’s hailing.  Tents and thunderstorms rarely go well together.  Listen to NOAA Weather Radio for watches and warnings in your area.  Thank you, Wendy, for demonstrating many of the safety tips in such laughable fashion!  I can’t get the image out of my mind of lying in a flimsy shelter inches from a grid of metal bolts, just waiting to become electrified (still laughing!).  And Laura described well the hazards of going outside to collect hail, as her neighbor did in The First Four Years before being thumped on the noggin by his lack of judgment.  Thank you, Wendy, for demonstrating learning from the mistakes of others!  But I do wish you would have gone outside after the hail was done to collect a bit, estimate the size of the largest piece (quarter? golf ball? baseball?), and relayed that to your nearest National Weather Service office to be recorded into our storm event historical records!  (Yes, your nearest NWS office always welcomes those reports when thunderstorms roll through!)

For all of you who wander the Plains in the warm season to visit Laura sites or otherwise travel through, I do have a few tips.  First, bring a portable NOAA weather radio and make it your best friend.  Most have a “silent” mode that keeps it quiet unless a watch or warning plays over the weather airwaves.  You can pick up a signal from at least one tower almost everywhere across the Plains.  The weather radio will beep loudly at you if severe weather threatens your area, even when you don’t know the area.  Which brings me to the second tip:  Learn the names of the county you’re in and what part of the county you’re in, the surrounding counties, and a few of the nearby towns.  Severe thunderstorm, tornado, and flash flood warnings are described by parts of counties, and storm tracks are described by towns in the path.  You’ll need to know both to know if you’re under the gun.  Third, be aware of the storm shelters available in places that you visit, especially places you stay overnight or for long stretches during the day, and REALLY especially if you’re camping.

If you have any questions about storm safety, storm warnings, or storm tips, throw them my way and I’ll be happy to answer!