Reply #35: I was living in North Austin when the Jarrel tornado hit. [View All]

[FormerRepublican]

I think there was around 3 other tornados at the same time, and the news was saying the big tornado was going to hit Austin. I was living in an apartment at the time, 3rd floor, no basement. I was never afraid of thunder storms until I moved to Texas and found out tornados drop out of them.

Living in Texas, you joke about tornados, mostly. Like calling a mobile home a tornado magnet.

The good thing to remember about tornados is that they're small (less than a mile wide), the weather guys can see them coming (usually) so you can get out of the way, and there's actually a very low likelihood that you'd ever be hit by one. Which is why Austin has no basements... People bet the odds that they'll never get hit. Generally, they win the bet.

No matter where you live, there's always a threat of natural disasters. If you live in California, it's earthquakes. If you live along the gulf, it's hurricanes. If you live way up north, then Yellowstone might explode and bury you 6 feet deep in ash. Or snow in a blizzard will freeze you and bury you 6 feet deep - take your pick.

Natural disasters are a fact of life we all live with. I guess I deal with it by employing gallows humor. If my number isn't up, an F-5 could land on my head and I'd still walk away. If my number is up, I could stub my toe on the curb and get a blood clot that lodges in my heart and I'm dead. After a while, you stop worrying about it because worrying doesn't change when your number is up. I guess I've learned a bit of fatalism as a coping mechanism for anxiety...

Sorry - I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I guess I forgot for a minute that some of the folks here survived Katrina. Bad me. :(