Emergency Preparedness

One spring evening, when I was in the eighth grade, a tornado ripped through our rural Pennsylvania neighborhood. 

I remember my dad racing to slam the front door with his foot as he yelled, “It’s a twister!  Get to the basement!”  He was right behind us as the lights went out and we flew down the steps.

I huddled there in the dark, just inches from my mom as we listened to the deafening roar overhead.  The basement of my parents’ old farmhouse was creepy in the daylight, let alone on a stormy night.  Broken chunks of cement partially covered the dirt floors which were piled high with musty boxes of forgotten treasures.  Low hand-hued beams draped with cobwebs made it impossible to stand up straight. 

“I’m scared,” I whispered. 

“Me too,” she said.  We didn’t even have a flashlight.

The tornado was gone in seconds, leaving the steady rain to fall on roofless buildings and homes which no longer sat on foundations.

Dad climbed the stairs first and I remember feeling guarded relief as  he called down, “I think the house is O.K.” 

Thankfully, it was.

We lost the beautiful 120 foot Hemlock tree that had graced our front yard for more than a century.  And there was part of a neighbor’s barn roof in our pond.  But we were one of the lucky families.  The twister had somehow hopped right over our house in the valley.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the raw fear of that night, though.  And on days like today, when when the highest threat circle encompasses our home, I get a little apprehensive.

We don’t have a basement to shelter in, but we do have a mighty God. 

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 182

We also have LEGO, fresh cookies, flashlights and lanterns.  And as long as the power stays on, we can watch the new movie I get to review next week.  :)

Pray for the safety of all those in the path of these storms today. And if you are one of them, stay safe!

I’m listening to the thunder, eyeing the clock and praying I will be able to get all the kids from the bus stop before the next line of storms hit.  Timing doesn’t look good, though, and I hate it when the kids are on the road during threatening weather.  I’ll be doing a lot of praying this afternoon!!  I’d appreciate yours, too!