I'm a real Southern Girl, and way more southern than y'all! I grew up on a farm in South Africa, in a beautiful area of the country where Mother nature was kind and demure. As a result, these storms and tornadoes scare me. Actually, that's an understatement - they TERRIFY me,  and turn me into a quivering pile of jello! 

 

We dodged the severe storms which spurned the tornado in downtown Atlanta this weekend.  We also scraped by with  property damage but no serious injuries Saturday afternoon, when a fierce line of thunderstorms plunged through Hall County, bringing  2.23 inches of heavy rain, high winds, and hail to the city of Gainesville.  According to an article in the Gainesville Times on Sunday, there were even unconfirmed reports of funnel clouds.

 

The weekend storms came just days before the 10 year anniversary of the deadly tornado which swept through Hall and White Counties in 1998, claiming 12 lives.  Read more details about this killer tornado in our Hall County History Category, or follow this link: http://www.hallcountylife.com/northeast-tornado-claims-12-lives-march-20-1998.html

 

Severe storm warning, tornado warning, storm watch, tornado watch etc, are all just words spoken by news anchors and meteorologists, and enough to send me hurtling down the stairs into my  very uncomfortable, (but safer) unfinished basement!  However, nothing is more frightening than the unknown, and nothing more valuable than being prepared...

 

The following link, taken from The Weather Channel, explains more about the following: Tornado Season, Watches and Warnings...http://www.weather.com/ready/tornado/risk.html?from=safety_Tornadoes

 

This next link  contains extensive information on tornadoes, including how they form, myths, and safety tips.  It is taken from a website created and Adapted from: A PREPAREDNESS GUIDE Including Safety Information for Schools U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service September 1992 (NOAA, FEMA, The American Red Cross) http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/edu/safety/tornadoguide.html

 

The Weather Channel is forcasting more severe weather for Georgia  for the next few days, with the potential for damaging winds, hail, and possible tornadoes.  As we enter into this very unsettled weather period, let's become more prepared and equipped to handle anything that Mother nature decides to throw our way...