photograph by Simon Burt
Tornado sirens are designed to scare the crap out of you. It's the wailing I suppose and there is no other sound, besides my child screaming, which will prompt me to move faster than a tornado siren. The siren serves as a warning to get the hell inside and into a safe place, lest you end up like Dorothy and Toto. So imagine how freaked I was when coming home last Friday night and hearing the sirens - it's like they were saying, "Whhhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyy are you outside? Go Hooooooooooooooome fool!"
My poor husband, who was driving, took the brunt of my min-panic session. The incessant wind and the constant lightning made me feel as if I was in a horror film, but when the sirens stopped I managed to calm down. We drove (er, more like sped) home to the safety of our itty bitty coat closet in the innermost area of our home. We are basement-less so closets will have to do. Fortunately, our area remain unscathed and thank God for that. I know other parts of the country were less fortunate and my heart goes out to those who are still dealing with the destruction left behind.
Have you ever been in a tornado? Or maybe a hurricane or earthquake? The weather of this past weekend was very scary, but as you know, there is only so much you can do to avoid it. That doesn't mean you can't be ahead of the game. Here are five ways brides and grooms can be proactive in regards to inclement weather:
One, always have a backup. If you plan on having an outdoor wedding, choose an indoor venue as a backup, even if it's your high school's gymnasium.
Two, don't get married in March in an area prone to tornadoes. If you absolutely have to, find a venue with a basement (at least you'll have some good wedding stories if you have to huddle underground for half of your reception.)
Three, use the weather channel's "Set The Date" tool to help you avoid typical bad weather months, giving you better odds of having decent weather on your wedding day.
Four, be aware that hurricane season begins June 1st and ends November 30th. Coastal brides and grooms getting married during those months need to be prepared to change their plans - do not assume the weather will be perfect.
Five, keep your expectations flexible. As mentioned in number four, never assume everything will go perfectly on your wedding day. Anger and frustration are usually a result to a change in set expectations, so keep them flexible and you'll avoid unnecessary stress and unhappiness.
Please feel free to share your own advice in the comments section!
2 comments:
The earthquake that left me on the bedroom floor at three in the morning (I was living in Victoria, BC) was enough to tell me that it was time for me to move to a solid rock in the middle of the mountains. Temperate climate nothing... I'll take snow over earthquakes trashing my house any day. It's just that sometimes I have to remind myself of that :)
Good call on not wanting a tornado to ruin the wedding. We don't get those, but I've seen the movies. It would make for a memorable event, but who wants to throw hundreds of dollars worth of flowers into a wind funnel?
~A
Hi Andrea! An earthquake would be enough to make me move too! Great comment - you definitely don't want to throw your wedding into a wind funnel, LOL! :)