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Shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday, while most people were tucked away snug in their beds, I was in my bathtub.
Unfortunately, I was not enjoying a relaxing bubble bath, I was — waterproof flashlight in hand — preparing to pull the mattress from my rollaway bed up over my head to protect me from the tornado that was about to come down out of the sky and swallow my house whole.
Moments earlier — in case the almost constant thunder and lightning wasn't enough to wake me — my iPhone started blaring in my ear, alerting me of the severe thunderstorm on its way and letting me know a tornado warning had been issued.
Wishing I had a copy of “How to Survive a Tornado, for Dummies” in the tub with me — if such a book exists — I seriously reconsidered my move to Missouri from New York.
As the new editor of the Rolla Daily News, I've had the opportunity to meet more community members than I can remember names and faces (I'm working on it).
With few exceptions, everyone I have met has asked me why I would want to leave the madness of New York City to come to this area, and how I am adjusting to the culture shock that is Rolla.
I explain to them I come here from a town significantly smaller than Rolla in upstate New York. There, I was closer to the rushing water of Niagara Falls than I was to the bustling streets of the city. A town where is was not uncommon to see Amish buggies ties up outside the grocery store and where people still feel comfortable leaving their doors unlocked at night.
The community has been very welcoming in the two weeks since my arrival, striking up conversations as I get settled in, shop for furniture and find myself hopelessly lost trying to navigate the city's one-way streets — a topic that will be addressed in a future column.
While the area is taking some getting used to, the transition has been much more pleasant than I prepared myself for — until Tuesday morning.
Ever since the I got news I would be moving here, I've been having nightmares about the weather — no doubt a result of watching too many bad made-for-TV disaster movies on the SciFy channel. I thought I would get a transition period, since most tornados occur in the spring and fall months — or so I've been told.
Shortly before 4 a.m. Tuesday, while most people were tucked away snug in their beds, I was in my bathtub.
Unfortunately, I was not enjoying a relaxing bubble bath, I was — waterproof flashlight in hand — preparing to pull the mattress from my rollaway bed up over my head to protect me from the tornado that was about to come down out of the sky and swallow my house whole.
Moments earlier — in case the almost constant thunder and lightning wasn't enough to wake me — my iPhone started blaring in my ear, alerting me of the severe thunderstorm on its way and letting me know a tornado warning had been issued.
Wishing I had a copy of “How to Survive a Tornado, for Dummies” in the tub with me — if such a book exists — I seriously reconsidered my move to Missouri from New York.
As the new editor of the Rolla Daily News, I've had the opportunity to meet more community members than I can remember names and faces (I'm working on it).
With few exceptions, everyone I have met has asked me why I would want to leave the madness of New York City to come to this area, and how I am adjusting to the culture shock that is Rolla.
I explain to them I come here from a town significantly smaller than Rolla in upstate New York. There, I was closer to the rushing water of Niagara Falls than I was to the bustling streets of the city. A town where is was not uncommon to see Amish buggies ties up outside the grocery store and where people still feel comfortable leaving their doors unlocked at night.
The community has been very welcoming in the two weeks since my arrival, striking up conversations as I get settled in, shop for furniture and find myself hopelessly lost trying to navigate the city's one-way streets — a topic that will be addressed in a future column.
While the area is taking some getting used to, the transition has been much more pleasant than I prepared myself for — until Tuesday morning.
Ever since the I got news I would be moving here, I've been having nightmares about the weather — no doubt a result of watching too many bad made-for-TV disaster movies on the SciFy channel. I thought I would get a transition period, since most tornados occur in the spring and fall months — or so I've been told.
Luckily the storm was over as fast as it started and I was able to make it back to the comfort of my air mattress.
Later Tuesday morning after a few more hours of less-than-restful sleep, I called family on the east coast, thrilled to share how masterfully I survived my first brush with death, a.k.a., Missouri weather.
Later, when I shared my story with co-workers, I was nearly laughed out of the building.
I may need a little help getting used to the weather here over the next year or so, but if we ever get hit with three feet of snow over night, I'm your girl.
Lynn Brennan — who can be found hiding under bed during lightning storms — can be reached at
LynnBrennan@therolladailynews.com
