Storm
is on the way. And if you listen to the forecasts, it’s bringing
six inches to seventy-four inches of snow along with it. (But
that’s just rough approximations.)
First
and foremost, I want to tip my hat to everyone working to deliver
weather forecasts for television stations, especially to those
doing so on a local level. You folks are amazing, and don’t deserve
any of the crap you are subjected to hearing.
Right
now, Rhode Island is set up for about six to eight inches from
this storm. Move barely twenty miles north and the forecast changes
to eleven to twelve inches. Forty miles and it reaches fourteen
to sixteen.
Do
you know where the bulk of the weather that will form this storm
is located right now? (Hint… in case you happen to be following
this storm, and are reading this close to the event… I started
this on Friday morning.) It’s west of Chicago.
It
you were moving west to east, were starting beyond Chicago on
your way to Rhode Island, had no guidance system and weren’t moving
on your journey by roads (you know, like a storm doesn’t need
to pay attention to roads)… how far off course would you stray?
My guess is that without maps and charts and sextants you would
miss Rhode Island completely, and might have a hard time setting
foot in Connecticut or Massachusetts.
Point
being… the idea that for two points within fifty miles of each
other there is a chance of snow accumulation differing by up to
a foot from a storm still hundreds (to a thousand or more) miles
away… yeah, of course there is no way for a local forecast to
be perfect. An inch of a difference here can mean miles there.
Makes
for a nice joke, but take a step back before taking on a serious
tone. Be safe. Be smart. Be warm. (And thank your local news weather
team.)
One
thing that always does amaze me though is the reaction we have
as a group of people to these storms. We aren’t prepared to lose
our phone service. Electricity going out will be an issue. Of
course, the shelves of grocery stores will be emptied of all the
essentials soon enough. And it is in today’s mass rush for bread
and milk that I began to wonder…
How
do you prepare for emergencies? As a spin on this, do you prepare
for the worst?
There’s
are a ton of clichés when it comes to planning for the
worst. They range from preparedness meaning you’ll never have
to worry about it happening to the worst never disappointing.
I usually fall someplace in the middle, where the things you plan
on and invest hours of concern over never take place.
Ever
had an outdoor fire? Not quite massive scale, but a fire pit or
larger will do. How often have you needed the garden hose or bucket
of water you kept nearby? Chances are you never have.
From
the outside—the it happened to someone else, no one I know, and
it doesn’t appear that anyone suffered catastrophic loss or injury—the
funniest stories seem to come from the people that don’t prepare.
No hose… no bucket… shed is on fire, video has become a must-see
of the day.
Woody
Woodpecker.
Remember
Woody? I often think about one particular cartoon of Woody’s that
contained these words of wisdom: “If Woody had gone right to the
police, this would never have happened.”
I
think that in the vast majority of situations, if you take certain
steps you can avoid the worst. But even more to the point, it
becomes a bit of a good luck charm, creating a mystical karma
situation. Bring the umbrella, it won’t rain. As if the umbrella
in your hand changed the weather. Twist the Woody quote as needed
to fit the particulars.
I
tend to not be much of a bread and milk for the storm person.
And, honestly, some of that is a combination of stubbornness and
stupidity. I’m not planning on an apocalypse—even if we do see
two-feet of snow—and as such a day or two without bread until
the stores open once again is hardly the making of an emergency
situation. (I would feel differently if the dogs were still around
or if I was caring for children. It’s one thing when I’m hungry
because I’m an idiot. Completely different when the puppies are
involved. So… please don’t write about this one. I know I can
be foolish. And Terry accepted such a companion by choice. Still…)
Such an approach isn’t exactly a good thing.
But
it shouldn’t be viewed as something extreme. For instance, I will
very rarely use a chainsaw or a ladder unless someone else is
in the house. If I’m going to be on the roof, and I’m going to
fall or kick over the ladder and find myself stranded there, it’s
kind of nice knowing that regardless of where the situation lands
on the embarrassment scale someone is around to call for help.
Still…
the idea remains sound. Maybe it isn’t bread and milk. Perhaps
it’s orange juice and vegetables. Might be gas for the snowblower.
We all have ways of preparing for emergencies. Mine simply isn’t
bread and milk.
(Unless
we don’t. And when we don’t, there’s YouTube so that others can
enjoy.)