It’s March 1 and as I type this there are weather systems hitting the southeast causing tornadoes. It’s ironic, because I live in Kansas, and there have been more tornadoes in other areas than we have had here in the last year. Last week, we did have a tornado watch that started in the evening and ran all night. This was new to me, because the other tornado watches we had were during the day. So I was faced with a dilemma: Where do we sleep?

Our house was built in 1919 or so, and has so many windows in every room! We usually all sleep upstairs, but that won’t work when a tornado is on its way. The one downstairs bedroom is safer, but it is not a central room and has four windows. Our basement is not a place you could sleep, but a safe haven from tornadoes should we have one actually come through. So I decided we could all squish into our hallway which was the only central location and fairly close to our basement door. It would be a tight squeeze for me, my husband, and our 4 and 5 year-old, but at least I would feel safe enough to actually sleep. Luckily, the bad weather went through before we went to bed and we felt comfortable enough to sleep in our beds. But it occurred to me: are we as prepared as we should be?

While nobody wants to think about “what if?” -as parents we really need to. As far as tornado safety, here is what you need to know:
1. Keep flashlights and new batteries on hand- enough for each person old enough to carry one (approximately 2 and above).
2. Keep candles and lighters where you will a)remember where they are, and b) be able to get to them quickly.
3. Put sturdy shoes on your entire family if you have to seek shelter during a tornado warning. Should the tornado hit, you and your children will be able to walk through the wreckage to safety.
4. For more information on tornadoes and what you should know to protect you and your family, visit this site.

Eight teenagers died at Enterprise High School in Alabama when a tornado hit on the day of this writing. This reiterates to us the seriousness of these tornado-producing storm systems and I hope that all parents are learning what they need to know and are getting prepared should they be faced with a tornado warning in their town. In addition, all parents should make sure that their day care provider or school has a plan in place as well.