For those of you who have never lived in areas where tornado warnings are common and sirens sound when the conditions are favorable for tornados to form you may think this post is fiction. However if you ask The Mom, once a unbeliever, she will set you straight. Since this website is more of a journal for our family I am going to start from the beginning. This post may seem long winded and humor may not be around every period so reader beware. this post could be bland. (HA-HA)

When we moved to Indiana in 1987 we had come from Oregon where the worst thing that could happen was the sun would shine for two days straight. Seriously, it might rain a lot but we were used to that, there might be a little snow fall now and again but it would rain shortly after and melt it all away. So seriously sun was something that made us drive slower on the freeways, stare out the windows and drop our jaws (okay maybe this was slightly exaggerated).

So needless to say when we learned that tornados occurred in Indiana it we thought we should know what to do if one occurred. This seemed like nothing more than a precaution worth taking but not even necessary. However that all changed when we learned that tornados were not only possible but they had there own season. Not only do they have there own season where they are more likely to occur but they can actually occur any time through out the year. Historically however they do occur between March and June each year.

We quickly learned that the best place in our home to protect us from a tornado would be the crawl space or a first floor interior bathroom or closet under the stairs. We luckily had all three to chose from. Unfortunately however the crawl space only had an entrance from the outside and as we get the warnings earlier than the tornado it would mean sitting under the house in damp gravel and dirt for hours while storms blew over. This is obviously not a favorable situation so we choose to keep the closet free (yea right) or clutter and decided that is where we would congregate in case of a tornado warning. For those of you familiar with our house you will see why this is a laughable situation. I mean eight people crammed into a small closet under the stairs.

It became evident quite quickly that there would generally only be five people in the closet, why you ask? I will tell you. Generally tornados come in the evening or night, I am not sure why but I am confident someone can find that information. Anyway this also means that Mom would not have to cram in there with us as she would be at work. What about the other tow you ask, well I remember one stormy night when the phone rang early and Mom, at work, told Dad that tornadoes had been spotted very close and they were moving our way. Dad immediately came into mine and heaths rooms and asked that we help get the girls downstairs while he cleaned out the “clutter free” tornado closet. When we were all down there and in the closet Dad was listening to the battery powered radio for updates and it became very hot and cramped in there. Both Heath and I had enough and decided that we would help Dad get the updates by going outside and sitting on the front porch to watch for tornados. If we saw one we promised that we would warn them and then we would take our spots in the bathroom next to the closet. Mom and Dad did not like that idea but I thought it would be better to see what it was the could kill us instead of dying in a cramped closet not having the opportunity to see the culprit.

It was after this experience, I cannot remember what year this took place, that we started discussing putting a trap door in the closet down to the crawl space. However the talks always ended with it would not be worth it, it was terribly dirty down there, if it rained a lot the crawl space would flood with water. Thus the trap door would not work.

We have been very lucky in our part of town as in the 21 years we have lived here we have never seen a tornado. However in 2002 a tornado did some serious damage in towns that border ours. All areas that belonged to the same congregation where we went to church. You can see some of the pictures from that damage here.

Fast forward to this year. Due to a mold problem caused by a leaking dishwasher (unknown due to the place it was leaking) Dad and Mom had the crawl space encapsulated. As part of the process Dad had them install a sump pump and and de-humidifier to keep the crawl space from growing more mold. he did not stop there however with the addition of four outlets and lights in every corner. Now as Taralee stated, “you can do stuff down here”.

Within a few weeks of The Mom and I coming down to Indiana a major storm hit, it just so happened that The Mom was the only one at home because the rest of the family was at the Relay for Life and I had our kids there with me. She did not like it one bit. As soon as she returned home she immediately emptied out the “clutter-free” closet to ensure a quick entry if needed. Luckily for her, and me, nothing came of those storms in this part of the state and the closet was once again not needed. However, when Grandpa Bland returned The Mom quickly discussed her novel idea of putting a hatch in the “clutter-free” tornado closet to allow for quick and easy access to a safer location, the crawl space. So the debate once again became a talked about idea only this time a little more plausible.

Grandpa actually loved the idea as it would also allow them to get more money out of the crawl space with all the work they did on it. So this past week Grandpa called up a contractor friend, thanks Bishop Ingram, and an entrance to the crawl space through the closet is no longer a dream but is a reality. Although The Mom is not currently here, visiting family in Utah, and the official tornado season has come to an end I am sure this little bit of information will make The Mom very happy. Although it may not make her look forward to the next severe weather and tornado warning, I am sure she will safer when it does come.

P.S. I am searching for a good document that explains the sirens in Indianaplolis, when they sound, what the sounds mean, etc. if anyone can email me that information or direct me to a place that I could obtain it I would appreciate it. Actually The Mom would greatly appreciate it. Thank you!