Oliver: Time for tornado preparedness

What a way to start a workday.

Over the police scanner Friday came the ominous warning of a funnel cloud that was spotted west of Huntley. And it was headed our way.

I’ve mentioned it before, and it bears repeating now, that I hate tornadoes. About as much as Indiana Jones hates snakes.

A funnel cloud, why did it have to be a funnel cloud?

But there was too much to do to think about it. For very long, anyway.

Grab a notebook. Start jotting down anything that could be checked out once the storm had passed. Decide whether to send a reporter and photographer out. Ignore furious beating of heart and elevated adrenaline level.

Don’t panic. Don’t panic.

Which, of course, is easy enough to say when you’re not the one with a tornado phobia.

Then the weather outside got noticeably worse. And the sirens started to sound.

The chatter on the scanner indicated that, at least in Crystal Lake, the dispatchers were checking with police officers around town to see whether the sirens were, in fact, sounding.

Thankfully, they were.

Because our office already had a tornado drill this spring, everyone knew where to go to take shelter. Our designated shelter areas are clearly marked, and we were encouraged to get there.

Thankfully, the warning soon was canceled. And we all could go back to our regularly scheduled activities.

At least for several hours until that next band of storms, and a tornado in Woodstock, hit the region.

Yes, it’s that time of year again.

If you haven’t already done so, this is a good time to get your own plans in place.

Here’s what the National Weather Service (www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html) says you should do:

• At home, have a family tornado plan, and practice a family tornado drill at least once a year.

• Store protective coverings (e.g., mattress, sleeping bags, thick blankets, etc.) in or next to your shelter space.

• Avoid windows.

• Get in the basement and under some kind of sturdy protection (heavy table or work bench), or cover yourself with a mattress or sleeping bag.

• Know where very heavy objects rest on the floor above (pianos, refrigerators, waterbeds, etc.) and do not go under them.

• If you don’t have a basement, go to the lowest floor and into an interior room. A closet or bathroom is recommended.

Yes, we receive these reminders every year. But better safe than sorry, right?

So while it’s fresh in our minds, let’s put those tornado plans in place.

Let’s make sure that we’re ready for the next time.

Because it’s impossible to know whether that next time will be the real thing or just another practice run.

Why risk it?

• Joan Oliver is a community editor for the Northwest Herald. She can be reached at 815-526-4552 or by e-mail at joliver@nwherald.com.