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Hello and welcome to another episode of the self-initiative project podcast

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i’m your host jim o’brien hey hey welcome back uh this episode we’re going to

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be talking about all things weather safety,

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what to do in advance and during bad weather storms of various types.

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We’re going to talk about heat.

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Specifically, I live here in Georgia, and heat and humidity is something that

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we deal with in the summertime every year.

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So I want to add that to the list, certainly.

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But we’re also going to be talking about the other obvious ones,

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thunderstorms, hurricanes tornadoes and

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snowstorms blizzards there’s i don’t think we’ve

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ever had a blizzard here in georgia but we certainly have had

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snowstorms and as odd as it is

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to talk about snow it’s just as important for us here in georgia because if

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nothing else georgia tends not to be as prepared or as well prepared as places

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states and cities that typically deal with or are used to getting snow.

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So we’re going to be talking about all of those and what you need to do ahead

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of time, what each one is and what it might look like, and then some things

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to do to make yourself and your family safer when the time comes.

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Before we get started, I wanted to talk about a few things that you should keep

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in mind regardless of the weather that you’re experiencing.

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And, you know, the first one, and some of these might be more obvious,

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And then we’ll talk about some gear and some preparation you should be making ahead of time as well.

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But, you know, starting with that, you should always…

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Be prepared and get prepared, I should say, ahead of time.

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Don’t wait until you’re in the middle of that thunderstorm or that tornado to

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then decide, oh, I should have gathered this or where can I find that or where

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are we going to go and does the family know what to do?

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The goal here is to prep and plan ahead of time.

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And, you know, getting information like from podcasts like this one is a starting place.

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So I encourage you to prepare and plan ahead of time and not wait until you’ve

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experienced a severe weather situation to come out the other side to realize

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what you should have done.

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I’ll give you that piece of advice now.

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In the case of some severe weather, such as tornadoes or hurricanes or flash

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floods, for example, if the authorities say to get out, then pay attention and

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act on that information.

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Sure, you can try to stay behind and batten down the hatches,

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but if the advice is to evacuate the area, I would highly encourage folks to

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take that, heed that advice seriously and act upon it.

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And look, if you’re paying attention to things ahead of time or you know there’s

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the potential threat of a weather storm of some type ahead of time,

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The sooner you act, the better, because for in the cases of evacuation,

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just as an example, if you wait until the nth hour, so is everyone else. And now you’re stuck.

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So the sooner that you act upon information, the better.

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And, you know, with that being said, as I mentioned, in your preparations and

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planning, have a plan, communicate that plan, and then practice it.

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Know where those evacuation routes are. Know what room in the house you’re going

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to get to if you wind up getting stuck in a tornado or a hurricane, et cetera.

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Talking about preparation, let’s talk about some miscellaneous pieces of equipment now.

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And this certainly isn’t everything,

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but just some things for you to think about if you hadn’t before.

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And again, in no particular order, some will be cold weather specific.

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Some can be all year round, but just bear with me as I get through the list.

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And again, this is just meant to get the juices flowing, thinking about things

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you may not have done already.

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But starting with an extra set of clothes in your vehicle, right?

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When I wrote that note, I was thinking specifically about wintertime.

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You’re not used to being stuck out in cold weather.

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You never know. Maybe you get a flat tire and can’t help it.

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Having that extra jacket, having those extra layers of clothing on hand for yourself is great.

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And if you have kids, you need to consider having those extra warm things for

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them in the vehicle as well.

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Having a raincoat or raincoat and pants is certainly something to consider keeping in your vehicle.

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As important, if not more important than anything else, is having a good quality

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first aid kit, a boo-boo bag, if you will, or a blowout bag,

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a basic trauma kit where you can stop severe bleeding.

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A, what they call a GHB bag or a get-home bag.

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And we’ve done a podcast in the past about how to make your own get-home bag. That was podcast 22.

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But having a get-home bag that includes some food and water in the mix as well.

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It’s important to maintain and keep a full tank of gas, especially if you know

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or you’ve gotten wind, so to speak. Okay.

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Bad weather is imminent. Making sure you have a full tank of gas so if you do

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have to evacuate or if you do have to get to a secondary location,

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maybe say your elderly parents and you want to be there for them.

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Having that full tank of gas in a time of need is key.

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I really like to keep my tank as full as possible most of the time regardless

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of the weather, but certainly something to consider in preparation for the weather.

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In the wintertime, making sure your fluids in the car are good,

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that the antifreeze is not just filled up, but you’ve actually replaced it.

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Antifreeze, depending on your vehicle, should be replaced ever so often because

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it loses its cooling properties over time and over it being used because,

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you know, it’s being rotated through that hot engine all the time.

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But for the winter months coming up, it’s especially important that you ensure

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that your antifreeze is in good shape. And this is something you also want to

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check before wintertime and the freezing temperatures have gotten here.

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Something else that I’ve recently

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talked about on Instagram is I like to keep blankets in my vehicle.

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They serve a lot of different purposes or can serve a lot of different purposes in the colder months.

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Something else to consider keeping is changing out your windshield fluid,

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your windshield wiper fluid wash to the wash that’s capable of handling freezing temperatures.

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The summer mixes typically do not have or do not have I should say the same

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mix and they will freeze up in the freezing weather so changing out your windshield

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wiper fluid is a good idea.

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Keeping an umbrella at all times is not a bad idea.

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Again, you never know if you have to change that flat tire, that might could

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come in handy, especially if you’re with someone that can hold it for you while you work.

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I know I mentioned this kind of in context of the get-home bag,

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but just generally speaking, it’s a good idea to keep snacks and water on hand in the vehicle.

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And you want to be sure you have enough for both your children and any pets

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that you might have along with you too. You know, they need to eat and certainly

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need to get water, especially if it’s in the hot summer months.

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And then a couple more things real quick here is this doesn’t apply to me,

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but certainly just getting the reminder out is if you have someone,

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if you or someone in your family is on medication,

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making sure you have that extra medication on hand, especially in case of emergencies

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where you may not be able to get back home again to get it is a good idea.

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And then I also recommend…

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And certainly in context of the get-home bag, but whether you’re home or in

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your vehicle, having a weather radio is always good.

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I keep a hand-cranked, so it’s not dependent on batteries solely.

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I keep a hand-cranked NOAA weather radio in my get-home bag,

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and then I have a nicer, it’s plugged in most of the time, but it also has battery backups.

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But I have a Midland NOAA weather radio in the house as well.

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So I can keep apprised of weather conditions, especially if I get awareness

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that something might be happening or is already happening nearby.

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So those are just some things to keep in mind, some things, some equipment to

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consider keeping if you haven’t before.

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Like a good flashlight, you know, there’s a lot of things that you can do.

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And again, it’s all in the spirit of thinking about it before you need it and

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getting prepared and having a plan in place before things, bad things happen

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or before things go sideways.

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So I want to talk about heat. And the reason why I want to talk about heat,

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and I know that Georgia is probably not the hottest place in the U.S.,

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but, you know, we can get pretty steamy in the summer months.

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And I do literally mean steamy because one of the things that Georgia seems

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to be very well known for is their humidity in addition to high temperatures.

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And I can remember some summers in the past where we surpassed the three-digit

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mark, you know, 103, 105, 106. It wasn’t uncommon.

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But I think more recently, just maybe within the last, well,

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I know within the last month, I was looking at my weather station and we had

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a 96 degree Fahrenheit day with the heat index of 118 Fahrenheit.

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The short of that is, is that means when you go outside, it’s really feels hot and it’s miserable.

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You know, it’s one of those days that you walk outside and the heat just knocks

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you down, right? You’re walking to a wall of it.

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And if you’ve been in high heat areas, especially high heat where there’s a

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lot of high humidity, you know that wall that I’m talking about.

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And the reason why I wanted to talk about heat is because it can become very

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serious, very fast for some groups, depending young children,

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infants, and then the aging population as well.

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Where heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be a real concern.

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Heat stroke, of course, being the worst of the two, and it can be deadly,

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especially for young children or elderly, because the symptoms are similar.

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For example, what I’m specifically talking about is a lot of the symptoms between

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heat exhaustion and heat stroke are similar,

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and they’re the types, In some cases, it feels like the types of symptoms that

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you may feel or that are exhibited, you might be dismissive of or might discount,

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but you really shouldn’t be. And I want to talk a little bit about these.

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So heat exhaustion is not quite as serious, but it can turn to heat stroke quickly

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if you’re not paying attention.

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So some of the symptoms, and these are things that they share,

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but headache, you get a slight headache of different types and different areas.

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You might feel dizzy. You could even faint potentially.

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You’re profusely sweating, crazy sweat, but you might have cold and clammy skin to the touch.

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There could be vomiting you could

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have a fast but a very weak pulse you

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could get you could feel weak or experience some

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muscle cramps and you you know

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one of the big signs of heat exhaustion is you’re just excessively thirsty and

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this is why it’s so important to hydrate and drink plenty of water with heat

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stroke it’s those things but another level of seriousness so again the headache

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You may experience confusion.

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You may hallucinate even.

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You might lose consciousness.

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Here’s the difference. You don’t sweat if you’re experiencing hate stroke.

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Or maybe you were sweating profusely and then it suddenly stops and dries up.

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And instead of sweating, you’ll have hot red skin. You can still experience

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nausea or vomiting, potentially.

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You have a super fast heart rate.

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And your body temperature, which I know is tough to do unless you can measure that, is above 104.

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I think for heat exhaustion, it’s above 100. And for heat stroke,

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it’s above 104, 105, thereabout.

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In the case of heat stroke, if you’ve gotten to that point where you’re experiencing

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heat stroke, you should definitely call 911.

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We’ve talked about the differences between heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

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Let’s talk about what to do in both

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because there’s a couple of nuances that you

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need to know about you know in order to avoid

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and we should be more about preventive and being

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proactive than reactive and dealing with something after

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we’ve gotten there is hydrate hydrate hydrate

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hydrate I know we get busy with what

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we’re doing or we’re playing really hard outside or we’re

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mowing grass or whatever it is we’re doing and we can get carried

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away and forget to drink water this is

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the most important thing one of the most important things

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that you can do to avoid heat exhaustion and heat

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stroke is to drink and if you’re at the point of being thirsty you’re technically

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a little later than you should be you should be hydrating and drinking water

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or sports drinks before you actually start to feel thirsty and you’re like well

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why would i do that i’m not thirsty yet that’s the point,

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you should be really keeping your body hydrated. And the way to do that is before

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your body is telling you it actually needs to be hydrated.

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But if you start to feel heat exhaustion, again, the headaches,

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the dizziness, the heavy sweating,

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especially if you’re throwing up or feel sick or you get muscle cramps or you

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feel weak, the other things that you want to do is get into the shade or ideally

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go inside for just a few minutes in your AC.

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Hopefully you have AC, especially if you live where it’s hot.

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But get inside and cool down and maybe lie down.

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And then, you know, if you’re experiencing heat exhaustion, you don’t want to

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chug a gallon of water. You want to sip water.

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You know, if you’ve got a spray bottle that you can mist your face and around

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your upper regions, you know, with a cool mist of water, you can do that too.

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But cool compresses is another option. As a matter of fact, because I am out

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in the yard in the heat, mowing my grass and whatever else regularly,

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once a week minimum. them.

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I actually just got one of these cooling cloths. It’s, I think,

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about a foot wide and about 40 inches long.

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You wet it up, you wring it out, and you drape it around your neck or over your

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shoulders. And as the water evaporates, this special material cools down.

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And I actually am wearing one at this very minute because I knew we’d be talking

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about heat today and what to do. So, you know, something like this is a good

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way to use to cool back down with, but even to wear while you’re out in the heat in the first place.

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Of course, if you know, if you really are so inclined, you can take a cool shower.

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And if you do happen to be sick and feeling nauseous and vomiting and you can’t

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stop vomiting, you need to go ahead and call 911 because this could be the beginnings

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of heat stroke or you could be experiencing heat stroke.

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And then, you know, once you get to the point of heat stroke,

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it’s no joke. You need to call 911.

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This can be extremely deadly, especially for the aging population.

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You probably have heard about, you know, a lot of elderly population being impacted

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by heat during the summer months.

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It is a large cause of death in that group.

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But the idea is that if they are experiencing the vomiting,

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the no sweat, the rapid heart rate, and, you know, they’re delirious,

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they’re maybe hallucinating, seeing things that really aren’t there,

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you want to move them into a cooler place.

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Again, bare minimum, the shade, ideally into AC.

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Use those cold compresses. And here’s the difference. If they’re experiencing

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heat stroke, you don’t want to give them fluids. We need medical care as quickly as we can get it.

00:16:33.689 –> 00:16:36.109
Do not give that individual fluids.

00:16:36.369 –> 00:16:41.749
And in either case, when you’re out in the heat, getting that cold beer to cool

00:16:41.749 –> 00:16:43.949
yourself off is not the way to go.

00:16:44.169 –> 00:16:46.609
So don’t use alcohol to hydrate.

00:16:46.889 –> 00:16:50.729
If you’re done for the day and you come in and you plan on taking that cool

00:16:50.729 –> 00:16:55.049
shower and hanging out in the AC for the rest of the day, then certainly crack

00:16:55.049 –> 00:16:56.789
that cold beer if you’re so inclined.

00:16:56.789 –> 00:17:00.609
But when we’re talking about hydrating, just to say it for the record,

00:17:00.809 –> 00:17:04.349
we’re never talking about drinking alcohol, water, and sport drinks.

00:17:04.509 –> 00:17:08.429
But in the case of heat stroke, it’s important not to give them fluids.

00:17:08.929 –> 00:17:17.049
I want to talk about thunderstorms next. And so why is a thunderstorm dangerous?

00:17:17.349 –> 00:17:19.049
Well, for a few different reasons.

00:17:19.949 –> 00:17:24.009
One is, and these are in no particular order, but one is high winds.

00:17:24.009 –> 00:17:27.829
And with high winds can come flying debris that can be dangerous.

00:17:28.249 –> 00:17:34.369
It can also mean falling debris, like falling trees, falling and down power

00:17:34.369 –> 00:17:37.929
lines. It can also be dangerous because of lightning strikes.

00:17:38.169 –> 00:17:41.749
And lightning strikes can be dangerous because they can hit a tree and start a fire.

00:17:42.029 –> 00:17:48.389
They can hit electrical transformers and blow out power for an entire neighborhood or street, whatever.

00:17:48.609 –> 00:17:52.769
And it can also hit you if you happen to be out in the wrong place at the wrong time.

00:17:53.568 –> 00:17:58.568
And we’ll talk more about these here in a moment. And the other one is floods,

00:17:58.828 –> 00:18:04.808
flash floods, especially if there’s a lot of rain for an extended period of time.

00:18:05.048 –> 00:18:09.368
There can be flash floods if you’re around bodies of water, streams,

00:18:09.588 –> 00:18:12.228
rivers, ditches, culverts, et cetera.

00:18:12.848 –> 00:18:18.928
And, you know, flooding can occur if the amount of rain that falls just simply

00:18:18.928 –> 00:18:22.228
exceeds the infrastructure in

00:18:22.228 –> 00:18:27.788
place to evacuate that water, to move that water along so you can either,

00:18:28.497 –> 00:18:32.677
have flooding because there’s just simply too much water too fast,

00:18:32.917 –> 00:18:37.137
or you’ve exceeded and or you’ve exceeded the infrastructure in place,

00:18:37.297 –> 00:18:40.357
whether that’s a natural infrastructure or a man-made infrastructure.

00:18:40.757 –> 00:18:44.497
So those three things are what make thunderstorms dangerous.

00:18:45.277 –> 00:18:49.457
Of course, they also apply to tornadoes and hurricanes, but we’ll talk more

00:18:49.457 –> 00:18:53.037
about those coming up. So what should you do in a thunderstorm?

00:18:53.557 –> 00:18:58.457
Well, you should not be out in it, especially if you’re on the water.

00:18:58.697 –> 00:19:02.417
So the idea is if you’re on the lake fishing or skiing or hanging out,

00:19:02.637 –> 00:19:06.717
whatever it is you’re doing, you want to find, get to shore and get to land

00:19:06.717 –> 00:19:08.417
as quickly as possible because.

00:19:09.297 –> 00:19:15.277
Like metal, water conducts electricity really well as does the human body.

00:19:15.797 –> 00:19:19.457
So if you’re out on the lake, if you’re doing any sort of water sports,

00:19:19.457 –> 00:19:23.077
you’re playing in the stream, looking for crawdads, whatever it is you do,

00:19:23.277 –> 00:19:26.137
you want to move away from that body of water immediately.

00:19:26.137 –> 00:19:32.857
If you hear thunder or see lightning, or even if the clouds are getting black

00:19:32.857 –> 00:19:35.637
because that could turn into a thunderstorm, right?

00:19:35.857 –> 00:19:39.957
So you want to get away from bodies of water. That also means you don’t want

00:19:39.957 –> 00:19:44.737
to be taking a bath or shower when there’s a big thunderstorm with thunder and lightning going on.

00:19:44.917 –> 00:19:51.037
And a good way to know is if you’re inside a potentially dangerous area of the

00:19:51.037 –> 00:19:55.057
thunderstorm or outside is when you see the lightning flash.

00:19:55.891 –> 00:20:01.451
Count 30 seconds. If thunder occurs in less than 30 seconds,

00:20:01.851 –> 00:20:05.911
then you’re technically still in a potentially dangerous area.

00:20:05.971 –> 00:20:08.971
So you want to be cognizant of that, staying away from water,

00:20:09.171 –> 00:20:10.971
staying away from electrical equipment.

00:20:11.171 –> 00:20:14.091
You know, it’s not a good time to be plugging or unplugging something.

00:20:14.311 –> 00:20:18.031
You want to stay off, and I don’t even know how many people have them any longer,

00:20:18.191 –> 00:20:20.651
but you want to stay off of corded phones.

00:20:21.051 –> 00:20:25.911
You know, cell phones, cordless phones, those are perfectly fine for the most

00:20:25.911 –> 00:20:28.851
part, but corded phones you want to stay off of because, again,

00:20:29.151 –> 00:20:34.691
electricity carries through wires. So you want to stay off of electrical equipment and corded phones.

00:20:34.771 –> 00:20:39.091
You don’t want to lie down or lean up against concrete.

00:20:39.271 –> 00:20:42.691
It’s not that concrete is conductive necessarily.

00:20:42.691 –> 00:20:50.011
It’s the steel or whatever it’s made out of iron rebar that they use to strengthen

00:20:50.011 –> 00:20:54.371
the concrete structure, whether that’s a floor in a garage or wall.

00:20:54.831 –> 00:20:58.951
It’s a good idea to stay away from concrete structures like that because of

00:20:58.951 –> 00:21:01.571
the metal inside reinforcing the concrete.

00:21:01.931 –> 00:21:05.711
That’s what will conduct or can conduct the electricity.

00:21:06.711 –> 00:21:09.751
And then you don’t want to be outside really in a thunderstorm,

00:21:09.991 –> 00:21:14.591
especially near trees, and you don’t want to be in groups. So if you’re in a group, spread out.

00:21:14.811 –> 00:21:19.051
If you’re near trees, get away from the tree at least twice as far away from

00:21:19.051 –> 00:21:21.891
the tree as the tree is tall is a good rule of thumb.

00:21:22.583 –> 00:21:24.083
You obviously don’t want to be

00:21:24.083 –> 00:21:28.063
walking around out in the thunderstorm with your golf clubs up in the air.

00:21:28.643 –> 00:21:32.563
And if you do, and you want to come down off of high areas, right,

00:21:32.763 –> 00:21:37.583
because you’re closer to the storms, you’re potentially closer to the lightning coming down.

00:21:37.743 –> 00:21:39.883
So you want to get down off of high places.

00:21:40.063 –> 00:21:44.983
You know, many of you may not have ever done it, but you can climb or hike Stone

00:21:44.983 –> 00:21:47.643
Mountain, which is a landmark here in Georgia.

00:21:47.863 –> 00:21:52.183
You don’t want to be on top of Stone Mountain if you don’t have to be in a thunderstorm.

00:21:52.583 –> 00:21:57.683
So coming inside is the best course of action and getting away from porches

00:21:57.683 –> 00:22:01.223
and metal sheds and windows is also a good idea.

00:22:01.403 –> 00:22:07.923
If you are stranded out in a big field and you feel your hair stand up on your

00:22:07.923 –> 00:22:12.963
arms or the back of your necks or you feel like there’s literally electricity in the air,

00:22:13.123 –> 00:22:16.543
you want to get down and make yourself as small as possible.

00:22:16.543 –> 00:22:19.903
Don’t lay down on the ground because you’re making you’re

00:22:19.903 –> 00:22:23.003
spreading your surface out giving their yourself more

00:22:23.003 –> 00:22:25.703
surface you’re making yourself a bigger surface what you want

00:22:25.703 –> 00:22:28.643
to do is basically kneel all the way down to

00:22:28.643 –> 00:22:31.663
where you’re practically sitting on your heels if

00:22:31.663 –> 00:22:34.603
you can you want to tuck your head down

00:22:34.603 –> 00:22:38.983
and you want to put your hands over your ears and your the goal is is that you’re

00:22:38.983 –> 00:22:44.623
trying to make yourself into a small a surface a tight as a of a ball as you

00:22:44.623 –> 00:22:50.263
possibly can And if you can manage to even lift up on the balls of your toes

00:22:50.263 –> 00:22:51.683
while you’re down in that position,

00:22:51.683 –> 00:22:56.643
that’s even better because you’re also wanting to minimize the amount of contact

00:22:56.643 –> 00:22:58.363
patch that you have with the ground.

00:22:59.051 –> 00:23:03.891
That’s worst case scenario. Best case is come in out of the weather and that’ll

00:23:03.891 –> 00:23:06.451
be the safest action that you can take.

00:23:06.571 –> 00:23:09.931
If you’re stuck out on the road, then slow down.

00:23:10.211 –> 00:23:16.391
The idiots that drive crazy fast and or tailgate or slam on their brakes,

00:23:16.631 –> 00:23:18.491
please don’t be one of those fools.

00:23:19.491 –> 00:23:23.131
Ideally, in a severe thunderstorm, you’re either going to want to pull over,

00:23:23.371 –> 00:23:27.791
especially if it’s hailing, because that speed in addition to the hail falling,

00:23:27.991 –> 00:23:31.551
you run the risk of your windshields being busted out that much more.

00:23:31.771 –> 00:23:36.171
So in the case of hail, you might want to consider pulling over or getting to

00:23:36.171 –> 00:23:39.131
a shelter, you know, near a building or a gas station.

00:23:39.591 –> 00:23:44.391
You want to slow down because you don’t want to find yourself hydrosliding,

00:23:44.591 –> 00:23:47.571
hydroplaning, which is what happens when there’s more

00:23:47.571 –> 00:23:50.491
water on the roads standing water on the roads than

00:23:50.491 –> 00:23:53.871
what the tread in your tires can evacuate and

00:23:53.871 –> 00:23:59.171
dissipate and that’s what causes the hydroplaning so you want to slow down to

00:23:59.171 –> 00:24:03.631
where if you feel slipping and if you’ve driven long enough you know what slipping

00:24:03.631 –> 00:24:11.151
feels like we’ve all done it if you feel yourself slipping and slipping more regularly than not,

00:24:11.331 –> 00:24:14.051
you know you’re still going too fast. So slow down.

00:24:14.851 –> 00:24:20.031
One thing I cannot emphasize enough is please do not slam on your brakes.

00:24:20.351 –> 00:24:25.611
You should be anticipating slower. You should be anticipating potential for

00:24:25.611 –> 00:24:27.171
there to be debris or hazards.

00:24:27.371 –> 00:24:32.351
You should be going slow enough and maintaining enough distance between you

00:24:32.351 –> 00:24:35.771
and what’s in front of you so that you don’t need to slam on your brakes.

00:24:36.311 –> 00:24:41.211
If you do hit a puddle of water or there’s a lot of standing water on the roads

00:24:41.211 –> 00:24:47.031
or highways, that is not the point to slam because you can actually cause yourself to hydroplane.

00:24:47.211 –> 00:24:52.171
So slow down, maintain good distance between you and whatever’s ahead of you,

00:24:52.291 –> 00:24:56.111
truck, car, whatever it is, and do not slam on your brakes.

00:24:56.900 –> 00:25:01.400
Let’s talk about tornadoes next. What causes a tornado in the first place?

00:25:01.540 –> 00:25:05.960
And if you’re lucky, you don’t live near a area that’s prone to tornadoes,

00:25:06.040 –> 00:25:10.520
but we even have some quote unquote tornado alleys here in parts of Georgia.

00:25:10.780 –> 00:25:16.620
They certainly exist in Alabama and then, you know, more out West is very well

00:25:16.620 –> 00:25:19.280
known for having tornadoes and on a regular basis.

00:25:19.580 –> 00:25:24.080
But given the right conditions and the clouds and the winds and the weather,

00:25:24.260 –> 00:25:27.680
tornadoes could theoretically strike anywhere at any time.

00:25:27.960 –> 00:25:31.620
Just some areas, because of the way the weather moves and the winds blow,

00:25:32.100 –> 00:25:35.940
they’re more conducive to tornadoes. But what causes a tornado?

00:25:36.140 –> 00:25:39.320
And in short, a tornado is caused where.

00:25:40.066 –> 00:25:46.726
Warm air is pulled up and is spinning, and cold air, which is generating rain

00:25:46.726 –> 00:25:51.286
and hail, is coming down, and they wind up spinning together.

00:25:51.466 –> 00:25:54.846
And typically, those winds run horizontal with the Earth.

00:25:55.066 –> 00:25:58.726
So think of it running parallel with the Earth, so to speak.

00:25:59.146 –> 00:26:05.126
And then those winds, warm air, warm, moist air going up and cold air coming

00:26:05.126 –> 00:26:06.666
down, they can go vertical.

00:26:06.666 –> 00:26:11.826
And that’s when you’ll see low-hanging clouds, and clouds eventually form a

00:26:11.826 –> 00:26:14.266
funnel and touch down and create that tornado.

00:26:14.966 –> 00:26:19.726
And tornadoes are ranked, and I can’t remember the name of the official system,

00:26:19.866 –> 00:26:23.686
but they’re basically ranked from one to five, one being the weakest,

00:26:23.966 –> 00:26:26.706
lightest, and five being the heaviest.

00:26:27.126 –> 00:26:34.706
Five, an E5-class tornado can have winds of over 200 miles an hour.

00:26:34.706 –> 00:26:39.206
When I’ve actually been through at least one tornado that I can remember,

00:26:39.526 –> 00:26:44.226
I think I’ve been around some tornadoes other than that in or near the area.

00:26:44.526 –> 00:26:48.706
But back in college, I actually happened to be camping with a group of guys

00:26:48.706 –> 00:26:56.846
up in on the border of Georgia, Tennessee, and we were in the woods and it came a bad storm.

00:26:57.026 –> 00:27:00.586
And as it turns out, a tornado came over the top of us.

00:27:01.275 –> 00:27:05.415
We knew this because the next day of the destruction and the trees that are

00:27:05.415 –> 00:27:08.715
snapped off halfway, you know, you’ve seen that or you’ve probably,

00:27:09.015 –> 00:27:10.875
well, you may or may not have seen it.

00:27:11.015 –> 00:27:14.895
But where a tornado cuts its path, at least a weaker tornado,

00:27:15.315 –> 00:27:22.255
it’ll snap off trees, not exactly at the halfway mark, but stalks of trees will

00:27:22.255 –> 00:27:25.215
be left in the ground. Let’s just say that of X height.

00:27:25.395 –> 00:27:31.195
And it’s bizarre. You’ll just see an entire path of trees snapped off equal height from the ground.

00:27:31.955 –> 00:27:36.535
And so what had happened and evidently what saved us is we were kind of down

00:27:36.535 –> 00:27:40.435
in the valley between two mountains. And I use that term loosely because we

00:27:40.435 –> 00:27:42.775
don’t have real mountains in Georgia, Tennessee.

00:27:43.035 –> 00:27:47.835
They’re big, big hills. But we got lucky. Our campsite was down in the valley

00:27:47.835 –> 00:27:50.075
and what that tornado had done.

00:27:50.535 –> 00:27:54.815
And I have no idea how strong it was or what class it was, but it was strong

00:27:54.815 –> 00:27:56.095
enough to scare some of us.

00:27:56.095 –> 00:28:00.755
Anyway, it had come up and over the top of the mountain to our left,

00:28:01.175 –> 00:28:06.015
skimmed over the top of where we were down in the valley, and then touched down

00:28:06.015 –> 00:28:10.095
on the hill to the right of us and kept on going and then dissipated.

00:28:10.795 –> 00:28:15.175
And the next morning when we drove out, we could see that destruction and see

00:28:15.175 –> 00:28:17.375
the path that the tornado had cut.

00:28:17.675 –> 00:28:23.735
And, you know, it was a smaller tornado, so its swath, its path wasn’t that wide.

00:28:24.295 –> 00:28:30.395
But I remember very distinctly the high winds and the freight train.

00:28:31.075 –> 00:28:35.315
And the other thing that you’ll experience at least some of the time with tornadoes

00:28:35.315 –> 00:28:41.275
is the sky turns green. If you’ve ever been in a tornado or nearby where a tornado

00:28:41.275 –> 00:28:44.675
is coming down, yeah, the skies turn green.

00:28:44.795 –> 00:28:49.115
Now, they’re certainly gray, grayish green, but they can turn gray.

00:28:49.115 –> 00:28:51.355
And if they’re not gray, they’re typically very dark.

00:28:52.735 –> 00:28:57.335
Another little known fact about tornadoes, at least I feel like when you tell

00:28:57.335 –> 00:29:01.055
people they’re like, really, I would never thought that is that when a tornado is coming.

00:29:01.824 –> 00:29:06.024
The rain stops. Now, I’m not saying it does it all the time,

00:29:06.044 –> 00:29:11.164
but you have to be cautious about when rain stops and there’s the expected tornado

00:29:11.164 –> 00:29:15.284
because just because the rain stopped doesn’t mean the storm’s gone away.

00:29:15.624 –> 00:29:20.964
In a lot of cases, rain stops right when the tornado is coming.

00:29:21.144 –> 00:29:22.264
It’s kind of interesting.

00:29:22.564 –> 00:29:26.144
And then the other big surprise for people, and unless you’ve been through it,

00:29:26.204 –> 00:29:30.324
and if you had, you’ll never forget it. But if you’ve never been through one, it’s hard to describe.

00:29:31.384 –> 00:29:37.844
But a tornado coming through sounds just like a freight train in the sky minus the bells and whistles.

00:29:38.144 –> 00:29:42.784
I kid you not. It’s been described like that. I never really thought of it until

00:29:42.784 –> 00:29:45.364
I witnessed it and heard it for myself.

00:29:45.364 –> 00:29:50.904
It sounds just like a freight train rumbling down the tracks minus the bells

00:29:50.904 –> 00:29:55.184
and whistles, that engine sound. And once you’ve heard it and figured out it’s

00:29:55.184 –> 00:29:56.944
in the sky, you’ll understand.

00:29:57.104 –> 00:30:00.524
So you want to be on the lookout for that. So what can you do?

00:30:00.684 –> 00:30:05.144
Well, when it comes to tornadoes, seek shelter. You don’t want to be out in a tornado.

00:30:05.464 –> 00:30:08.224
And another thing you don’t want to do, if you happen to be in your car,

00:30:08.284 –> 00:30:12.364
you do not want to try to outrun a tornado. You will not do it.

00:30:13.144 –> 00:30:17.544
If you’re home, you want to get to the lowest point in the house as you possibly

00:30:17.544 –> 00:30:19.324
can, ideally a basement.

00:30:19.784 –> 00:30:22.024
And you want to move away from the exterior.

00:30:22.504 –> 00:30:25.624
And if you do go to a basement, you don’t want to find yourself,

00:30:25.804 –> 00:30:28.024
say, underneath that piano or…

00:30:28.849 –> 00:30:33.769
That gun safe, because there is the risk that those super heavy objects up on

00:30:33.769 –> 00:30:37.609
the floor above could come through should that tornado really get a hold of

00:30:37.609 –> 00:30:39.509
your house and do it a number, tear it up.

00:30:39.989 –> 00:30:46.369
So you want to get to the basement. If you do not have a super low place like that,

00:30:46.509 –> 00:30:51.669
like a basement or a storm shelter, like some homes out in the country have

00:30:51.669 –> 00:30:54.109
where there’s areas more prone to tornadoes,

00:30:54.229 –> 00:30:57.229
as an example, then what you want to do ideally is get

00:30:57.229 –> 00:31:00.329
to an interior room ideally away from

00:31:00.329 –> 00:31:03.469
any windows because there’s going to be glass front flying

00:31:03.469 –> 00:31:06.269
that’s not good and you want to hunker down

00:31:06.269 –> 00:31:11.529
in there ideally you want to protect your head and neck and you know if you

00:31:11.529 –> 00:31:16.949
could do it a great way is to get into your bathtub and pull a mattress over

00:31:16.949 –> 00:31:21.009
you if you’ve got it if not pillows and blankets and of course you got kids

00:31:21.009 –> 00:31:25.289
to deal with and hopefully you’ve got a priority on getting them to a safe spot.

00:31:25.449 –> 00:31:28.709
So maybe put them in the tub with pillows and blankets over the top of them.

00:31:29.049 –> 00:31:33.309
But again, you want to get to an interior room and get away from the outside

00:31:33.309 –> 00:31:35.789
walls and those windows as best you can.

00:31:36.449 –> 00:31:43.289
If you happen to be outside and one is coming again, don’t try to outrun it in your car.

00:31:43.489 –> 00:31:48.589
You want to try to get to a building that has a shelter or a basement in it

00:31:48.589 –> 00:31:51.349
or an interior room, if that’s not an option,

00:31:51.569 –> 00:31:57.569
then what you want to do is stay away from bridges and overpasses and head to

00:31:57.569 –> 00:32:00.609
the ditches and the ravines and lay down in them.

00:32:00.849 –> 00:32:05.849
And again, you want to cover your head and neck as best as you possibly can.

00:32:06.089 –> 00:32:10.729
So lay down flat, use those ditches and ravines. If you can’t get to a building

00:32:10.729 –> 00:32:16.149
or house or shelter where you can get in, you know, stay as sheltered from the

00:32:16.149 –> 00:32:17.569
storm as you possibly can.

00:32:18.353 –> 00:32:22.393
I know I mentioned this early on, but I want to mention a couple of terms,

00:32:22.593 –> 00:32:27.953
and you’ll see it in all cases, whether it’s thunderstorms, tornadoes,

00:32:28.033 –> 00:32:33.013
I think even in snowstorms and blizzards, I always hear watch and warning.

00:32:33.473 –> 00:32:39.313
And for the life of me, in my entire life, those terms always get me confused

00:32:39.313 –> 00:32:43.433
because I think they’re the opposite of what they actually are.

00:32:43.433 –> 00:32:44.713
So let’s talk about them.

00:32:44.853 –> 00:32:50.913
And in some cases, like I think hurricanes and snowstorms, there can be even

00:32:50.913 –> 00:32:55.213
other levels talked about in consideration. But generally speaking,

00:32:55.533 –> 00:32:58.433
things are labeled as watch or warning.

00:32:59.093 –> 00:33:06.353
So what are they? A watch is when conditions are right that the thing that you’re

00:33:06.353 –> 00:33:08.913
worried about is possible or potential.

00:33:09.153 –> 00:33:12.993
So in the case of thunderstorms, a thunderstorm, a severe thunderstorm,

00:33:13.533 –> 00:33:18.093
the conditions are right. It is potential or possible. Same with tornado.

00:33:18.513 –> 00:33:24.873
A watch does not mean that the weather storm that’s being discussed has been

00:33:24.873 –> 00:33:27.653
seen, even though you’d think watch meant that.

00:33:27.773 –> 00:33:31.313
And that’s what’s been confusing to me. Watch just means that conditions are

00:33:31.313 –> 00:33:32.793
primed, conditions are right.

00:33:33.193 –> 00:33:36.953
On the flip side, a warning is just that.

00:33:38.993 –> 00:33:46.693
It’s either happening or it’s either happening or it’s about to happen at your

00:33:46.693 –> 00:33:48.153
point or near your point.

00:33:48.293 –> 00:33:52.993
So in the case of a tornado warning, that means a funnel cloud has been spotted

00:33:52.993 –> 00:33:55.973
and or a tornado has touched down nearby.

00:33:56.493 –> 00:34:01.353
Same with thunderstorms. basically at that point, a warning is this thunderstorm’s happening.

00:34:01.653 –> 00:34:06.433
It might not have gotten to you yet, but it’s right around the corner, so to speak.

00:34:07.046 –> 00:34:14.266
So I wanted to talk about the watch and warnings because my entire life I’ve gotten those confused.

00:34:14.546 –> 00:34:18.446
And to me, I still argue that a watch means I can see the thing, but it doesn’t.

00:34:18.686 –> 00:34:21.946
So a watch is the potential, the possibility.

00:34:22.146 –> 00:34:26.726
A warning is it’s happening or it’s about to happen. It’s been spotted.

00:34:27.463 –> 00:34:31.083
So we’ve talked a little bit about lightning and, of course,

00:34:31.243 –> 00:34:34.963
the presence of high winds and why high winds are so dangerous,

00:34:34.963 –> 00:34:38.123
whether you’re talking thunderstorms, hurricanes, or tornadoes,

00:34:38.243 –> 00:34:42.043
is simply just because of the potential for flying debris.

00:34:42.343 –> 00:34:47.163
I mean, we’ve all heard about in tornadoes how a two-by-four can be pushed through a tree.

00:34:47.943 –> 00:34:52.883
The winds can be quite devastating in any of those events, but certainly in

00:34:52.883 –> 00:34:54.483
the case of tornadoes and hurricanes.

00:34:54.483 –> 00:35:00.363
So flying debris is a concern, as is the potential for trees falling,

00:35:00.603 –> 00:35:05.763
power lines for falling, whatever’s up high coming down, signs being,

00:35:05.763 –> 00:35:09.003
you know, ripped up out of the ground, whatever it could be.

00:35:09.503 –> 00:35:16.103
And you got to know that at some wind speeds that the smallest piece of debris

00:35:16.103 –> 00:35:21.043
can turn into something that can hurt you severely or potentially kill you.

00:35:21.703 –> 00:35:26.843
So that’s one of the reasons why these sorts of storms really merit either you

00:35:26.843 –> 00:35:29.543
getting inside to shelter or evacuating,

00:35:29.543 –> 00:35:33.663
because in some cases you’re not going to be able to escape the high wind or

00:35:33.663 –> 00:35:37.023
the impact that that high wind makes.

00:35:37.423 –> 00:35:40.763
And of course, we’ve talked about lightning, the importance of either getting

00:35:40.763 –> 00:35:45.683
inside and out away from it altogether, getting off of bodies of water,

00:35:46.163 –> 00:35:49.723
staying away from electrical equipment, all of those things that you probably

00:35:49.723 –> 00:35:51.343
have already figured out for yourself.

00:35:51.823 –> 00:35:55.843
Talk about flooding. And I know we haven’t talked about hurricanes yet,

00:35:55.843 –> 00:35:58.963
but we’ve talked about thunderstorms and tornadoes.

00:35:59.083 –> 00:36:02.023
So now what the heck is a good point to talk about flooding.

00:36:02.463 –> 00:36:07.403
And we mentioned it earlier. It’s really when so much rainwater is coming down.

00:36:08.352 –> 00:36:14.852
Or so much water is coming in so fast that it’s either a quantity thing or a

00:36:14.852 –> 00:36:17.552
quantity thing in a short period of time, right?

00:36:17.692 –> 00:36:23.472
And what I mean by that in a thunderstorm and tornado, the rain quantities could

00:36:23.472 –> 00:36:27.372
be so fast that it generates a flash flood.

00:36:27.372 –> 00:36:31.272
In other words, it goes well beyond the infrastructure, again,

00:36:31.352 –> 00:36:37.152
whether man-made or natural, to hold back and contain generally the normal amounts of water,

00:36:37.825 –> 00:36:45.305
And it has no choice but to go up those banks or flow into areas that it wouldn’t normally flow into.

00:36:45.605 –> 00:36:50.645
And it can happen very quickly. And that’s why flash floods especially can be so dangerous.

00:36:51.165 –> 00:36:56.865
The other reason why flash floods can be dangerous is say you’re in your vehicle on the road.

00:36:57.705 –> 00:37:04.585
The moving currents can be extremely overwhelming very quickly.

00:37:04.585 –> 00:37:08.785
And if you’ve ever been canoeing or kayaking or tubing down a river,

00:37:09.025 –> 00:37:14.965
I’ve kayaked at one point in time, the Nantahala a few times, the green, the timber.

00:37:15.305 –> 00:37:20.785
I’ve tubed some streams and some little rivers up in Tennessee.

00:37:21.105 –> 00:37:26.665
So if you’ve ever been around those, you know that when the water level is up,

00:37:26.705 –> 00:37:32.805
it’s usually flowing extremely fast, at least faster than when the levels are

00:37:32.805 –> 00:37:35.025
lower. So that’s just a general rule of nature.

00:37:35.245 –> 00:37:40.645
Water, when it’s high, is flowing fast, and water, when it’s low, can flow slower.

00:37:40.865 –> 00:37:46.545
With that being said, in context of flash floods, that immediacy of water coming

00:37:46.545 –> 00:37:47.745
through is going to be fast.

00:37:47.885 –> 00:37:52.765
I mean, it’s exceeded whatever limits that were in place to hold it back. It’s coming through.

00:37:53.805 –> 00:38:00.985
A person can be swept away out of control in as little as six inches depth of water.

00:38:00.985 –> 00:38:08.745
A vehicle can be swept away in 18 to 24 inches of water That’s not a whole lot

00:38:08.745 –> 00:38:13.505
of depth But one of the reasons why it’s dangerous is because you can’t necessarily

00:38:13.505 –> 00:38:17.645
see how deep that water is So when it comes to flooding,

00:38:18.425 –> 00:38:20.885
you utilize some common sense, right?

00:38:21.085 –> 00:38:25.345
If there’s been blockades and barricades put up across a road Don’t try to be

00:38:25.345 –> 00:38:31.025
the smart person and go around them to get across You may not know what you’re getting into Again,

00:38:31.465 –> 00:38:36.425
it takes as little as six inches of water to sweep away a person potentially.

00:38:36.805 –> 00:38:42.365
And as little as actually one foot of water can sweep away some smaller cars.

00:38:43.218 –> 00:38:46.918
But even at the two-foot mark, you’re talking about SUVs, trucks,

00:38:47.178 –> 00:38:50.478
heavy vehicles being swept downstream.

00:38:51.478 –> 00:38:57.178
And so don’t go around barricades. Don’t cross over overpasses and bridges that

00:38:57.178 –> 00:39:01.078
clearly have high and or fast-moving water.

00:39:01.438 –> 00:39:04.778
You know the ones. You’ve seen streams when they’ve been up higher,

00:39:05.038 –> 00:39:06.838
rivers when they’re flowing super fast.

00:39:06.838 –> 00:39:09.978
If you’ve got a small bridge on a two-lane road

00:39:09.978 –> 00:39:13.178
somewhere and you see that water might be just skimming the

00:39:13.178 –> 00:39:16.498
bottom of that bridge and it’s moving faster than

00:39:16.498 –> 00:39:21.498
you know it normally moves don’t try to pass it because that fast moving and

00:39:21.498 –> 00:39:26.598
or high water could have eaten away the infrastructure the support mechanisms

00:39:26.598 –> 00:39:31.458
for that bridges that bridge or overpass and you may just be the vehicle that

00:39:31.458 –> 00:39:35.638
puts it on its last leg so don’t cross bridges when you see that Thank you.

00:39:35.935 –> 00:39:42.395
Unless you can tell the depth of water, don’t try to cross flooded roads and

00:39:42.395 –> 00:39:44.295
pathways. It’s just not worth it.

00:39:44.455 –> 00:39:48.295
Again, your vehicle can be swept away a lot easier than you think.

00:39:48.635 –> 00:39:52.915
And that water, when it comes high and fast, it can do a lot of damage.

00:39:53.075 –> 00:39:58.035
And on top of that, it could be carrying debris that you may or may not see

00:39:58.035 –> 00:40:04.315
that can cause damage to your vehicle and or come through the glass and get to you.

00:40:04.315 –> 00:40:08.855
Or pin you up against something and block your side of the vehicle where it

00:40:08.855 –> 00:40:13.315
makes it way harder, if not next to impossible, for you to escape that vehicle.

00:40:13.895 –> 00:40:18.995
So let’s talk about what to do if you do get caught in a flash flood or you

00:40:18.995 –> 00:40:24.395
make the mistake of trying to cross somewhere you probably shouldn’t have. What should you do?

00:40:24.755 –> 00:40:29.195
Well, anytime there’s a flood, your goal should be to get to Highland, right?

00:40:29.595 –> 00:40:34.555
That’s just your, that should be your go-to. get to highland as best you can.

00:40:35.015 –> 00:40:39.395
If you’re trapped in the vehicle, what you want to try to do is get the window

00:40:39.395 –> 00:40:46.535
down and get out the window, either get on top of the roof and or ideally try

00:40:46.535 –> 00:40:49.475
to swim to shore and again get to highland, get out of there.

00:40:50.375 –> 00:40:56.395
If you can’t get your window down, then your next option is to open one of the doors in your vehicle.

00:40:56.615 –> 00:41:00.675
However, depending on where that water level is,

00:41:00.935 –> 00:41:05.475
you may not be able to open those doors anymore because the pressure inside

00:41:05.475 –> 00:41:09.955
your cabin, inside your vehicle, does not equal the pressure that the water

00:41:09.955 –> 00:41:11.695
is exerting against your vehicle.

00:41:11.795 –> 00:41:17.715
In order to be able to more easily open that door, you have to wait to the pressure balances.

00:41:17.735 –> 00:41:22.715
And that’s going to be about the point that the water’s up to your neckline

00:41:22.715 –> 00:41:28.495
while you’re in your vehicle. So keep that in mind. If you can’t get that window down or open.

00:41:29.238 –> 00:41:32.358
You’re going to have to wait till the pressure equalizes. And then the goal

00:41:32.358 –> 00:41:38.638
is once you do get that door open, you know, to get to the shore and get to highland.

00:41:39.298 –> 00:41:43.318
And obviously call 911 if you still have that capability.

00:41:43.698 –> 00:41:48.858
Another thing you can do is if you find yourself in a river or getting towed

00:41:48.858 –> 00:41:53.698
away, you know, in flash flood water, is to turn on your hazards and your headlights

00:41:53.698 –> 00:41:56.558
just to make it easier to hopefully spot your vehicles.

00:41:56.558 –> 00:42:02.378
One of the things I also recommend is keeping some sort of seatbelt cutter and

00:42:02.378 –> 00:42:05.138
glass breaker in your vehicle at all times.

00:42:05.158 –> 00:42:09.018
And it doesn’t do you any good if it’s in the trunk, if you caught yourself

00:42:09.018 –> 00:42:13.798
in one of these predicaments, whether it’s a rollover in a regular car accident,

00:42:13.978 –> 00:42:16.738
for example, or flash floods.

00:42:16.738 –> 00:42:19.618
You might want to consider keeping a glass

00:42:19.618 –> 00:42:22.638
breaker and seat belt cutter with you and keep

00:42:22.638 –> 00:42:25.578
it you know in the center console maybe tied to your

00:42:25.578 –> 00:42:28.318
uh headrest next on the

00:42:28.318 –> 00:42:31.238
passenger’s chair or even behind your somewhere in the

00:42:31.238 –> 00:42:37.098
immediate vicinity where you can get to it break that window and get out cut

00:42:37.098 –> 00:42:41.678
that seat belt if you happen to be really nervous which you’re likely to be

00:42:41.678 –> 00:42:45.418
and you can’t hit the button to release it you know just some things to consider

00:42:45.418 –> 00:42:49.338
and again keeping them convenient and within reach is also key.

00:42:50.240 –> 00:42:57.800
So the general philosophy you should have is when it comes to floodwaters,

00:42:58.080 –> 00:43:02.180
when you’re faced with do I cross or not, there’s a saying that some entities

00:43:02.180 –> 00:43:06.700
have put out that says, turn around, do not drown. Turn around, do not drown.

00:43:07.140 –> 00:43:11.460
So if you get to it, go a different way. Figure a different route or find a

00:43:11.460 –> 00:43:14.080
place to stay for the night for those waters to subside.

00:43:15.320 –> 00:43:19.920
And another thing, flash floods can or flooding can last for several days.

00:43:20.240 –> 00:43:24.240
So, you know, hopefully you’ve gotten out because you’ve paid attention,

00:43:24.440 –> 00:43:27.640
you’ve heeded the warnings, but what happens if you stay, you know,

00:43:27.840 –> 00:43:30.560
floodwaters aren’t good. They’re not good for a lot of reasons.

00:43:30.800 –> 00:43:34.620
You know, if things have gotten bad, there could be chemicals in there washed

00:43:34.620 –> 00:43:36.920
downstream. There could be sewage.

00:43:37.240 –> 00:43:39.140
There could be wild animals.

00:43:39.840 –> 00:43:43.020
There’s graveyards or cemeteries in the mix.

00:43:43.200 –> 00:43:46.920
Bodies have been washed up before. We all remember New Orleans a number of years

00:43:46.920 –> 00:43:52.200
back. Flood waters are not a place to play if you find yourself trapped in them.

00:43:52.460 –> 00:43:56.280
The idea is, again, to get the high ground, and that may just need to be the

00:43:56.280 –> 00:43:58.520
roof of your house if things get really bad.

00:43:58.820 –> 00:44:04.280
And a couple other things to keep in mind about floods, and especially if you

00:44:04.280 –> 00:44:06.720
think you’re brazen enough to try crossing,

00:44:06.980 –> 00:44:12.900
is one is if it’s nighttime, you think it’s hard to see how deep the water is

00:44:12.900 –> 00:44:16.340
or how much debris is floating by or cruising by.

00:44:16.340 –> 00:44:19.640
During the day at nighttime

00:44:19.640 –> 00:44:22.680
it’s almost impossible to know anything about

00:44:22.680 –> 00:44:26.200
what’s going in in that water so you certainly don’t want to attempt anything

00:44:26.200 –> 00:44:30.440
at night and the other thing you have to realize too is that your vehicles are

00:44:30.440 –> 00:44:36.260
not amphibious if you get into flood water on a roadway and it’s deeper than

00:44:36.260 –> 00:44:39.700
what your air cleaner is positioned in your car as an example.

00:44:40.500 –> 00:44:44.100
That water’s going to get sucked up into that intake and your engine’s going

00:44:44.100 –> 00:44:48.180
to stall. Now you’re stuck. How fast is that water moving?

00:44:48.560 –> 00:44:52.440
If it’s ever so slightly too deep, deeper than what it should have been,

00:44:52.580 –> 00:44:54.260
you were likely to be swept away.

00:44:54.420 –> 00:44:57.740
And because your engine stalled, you got no options.

00:44:57.980 –> 00:45:01.120
So those are just some things to take away.

00:45:01.500 –> 00:45:05.160
Like I said, as little as six inches to sweep a person away.

00:45:05.660 –> 00:45:11.040
Less than two feet to sweep big vehicles downstream. and that’s not good.

00:45:11.480 –> 00:45:16.640
I know we’ve talked about not crossing roadways, things like that in our vehicles.

00:45:16.680 –> 00:45:20.360
When it comes to flooding, you generally want to stay away from streams,

00:45:20.720 –> 00:45:22.720
rivers, ditches, culverts.

00:45:22.940 –> 00:45:26.120
They’re designed to carry that additional water away.

00:45:26.380 –> 00:45:31.520
If things are super flooded, the water’s likely risen past the point,

00:45:31.680 –> 00:45:35.840
past the banks, past the point that those ditches or culverts were intended

00:45:35.840 –> 00:45:40.300
to have the water that they were designed and intended to carry away,

00:45:40.580 –> 00:45:43.520
that water will be moving extremely fast.

00:45:43.680 –> 00:45:48.040
So you want to stay away from any place where there could be or where there’s

00:45:48.040 –> 00:45:50.280
normally moving water because rest assured,

00:45:50.280 –> 00:45:55.060
it’ll be a lot more now with the flood and it’ll be moving tremendously more

00:45:55.060 –> 00:46:00.600
fast than it would be under normal circumstances and rain allotment, so to speak.

00:46:00.860 –> 00:46:04.500
And so that’s something to keep in mind for your children as well is don’t let

00:46:04.500 –> 00:46:08.620
them go play near those things either if there’s been a lot of rain and water coming down.

00:46:09.100 –> 00:46:13.160
So I want to talk about one more aspect of floods.

00:46:13.380 –> 00:46:19.220
The number one cause of death in floods is people trying to cross flooded areas.

00:46:19.220 –> 00:46:21.020
So keep that in mind as well.

00:46:21.928 –> 00:46:26.808
Talking about lightning strikes and high winds, you know, some of the things

00:46:26.808 –> 00:46:31.408
and storms in general, you know, damaged properties,

00:46:31.868 –> 00:46:37.068
houses, structures being damaged beyond the point of being able to be occupied,

00:46:37.768 –> 00:46:42.868
power lines coming down, trees coming down, gas lines being burst.

00:46:43.128 –> 00:46:47.528
All these things are hazards that could occur during or after a storm.

00:46:48.008 –> 00:46:54.788
And so, you know, you want to to avoid downed power lines at all costs.

00:46:55.468 –> 00:47:00.608
And if you’ve got a gas leak somewhere, you wanna call the fire department and

00:47:00.608 –> 00:47:02.668
or the utilities companies immediately.

00:47:04.149 –> 00:47:10.709
And just, you know, if you think the house appears to be too unstable to enter,

00:47:11.029 –> 00:47:13.009
don’t enter a building or a

00:47:13.009 –> 00:47:17.449
house, even if it’s your own, that appears to have had structural damage.

00:47:17.749 –> 00:47:23.449
And you can tell, you know, cracked windows, the front porch being cockeyed

00:47:23.449 –> 00:47:26.629
sideways, cracks in the side of the walls.

00:47:27.049 –> 00:47:31.369
These things you need to be paying attention to. And not just from one angle

00:47:31.369 –> 00:47:34.249
of the house. There’s the front, back, and two sides.

00:47:34.609 –> 00:47:39.989
If you absolutely must go in, then just be sure that you feel like you’ve done

00:47:39.989 –> 00:47:44.069
your job looking over to make sure that structure is still stable enough for

00:47:44.069 –> 00:47:47.209
you to enter because you don’t want to go in and have that building collapse

00:47:47.209 –> 00:47:50.569
on you after its integrity has been compromised.

00:47:50.909 –> 00:47:57.269
Again, avoid the down power lines. And again, I say if you smell gas or hear

00:47:57.269 –> 00:48:02.869
gas hissing, you want to call the fire department immediately and possibly the gas utilities company.

00:48:03.089 –> 00:48:08.029
One thing I will tell you is that if gas has been turned off to a property,

00:48:08.029 –> 00:48:11.069
you don’t want to just turn it back on.

00:48:11.229 –> 00:48:14.429
Like the water’s receded. You’re trying to move back in.

00:48:14.569 –> 00:48:20.389
Your gas was shut off. Maybe you even shut it off to be proactively keep things safer.

00:48:20.549 –> 00:48:24.349
You don’t want to turn that gas back on. You don’t know what’s in the house

00:48:24.349 –> 00:48:28.809
is going to react to gas suddenly coming back through the pipes again,

00:48:28.809 –> 00:48:32.849
you want to make sure that the utilities companies are doing that because they

00:48:32.849 –> 00:48:36.709
know all the safety procedures and things that need to be in place before that

00:48:36.709 –> 00:48:40.369
gas can be turned back on. So I just want to mention that as well.

00:48:41.085 –> 00:48:44.225
You’re probably thinking, my gosh, how am I going to remember all this,

00:48:44.345 –> 00:48:48.285
especially in an event where I’m needing to remember this stuff?

00:48:49.005 –> 00:48:53.485
And, you know, when bad things happen, it’s going to be natural to be stressed,

00:48:53.745 –> 00:49:00.865
to feel anxiety, maybe even for a moment freeze or be paralyzed not knowing what to do.

00:49:01.025 –> 00:49:04.985
And this goes back to where I started this podcast and saying it’s better to

00:49:04.985 –> 00:49:09.425
be prepared and get your equipment together ahead of time than be caught off

00:49:09.425 –> 00:49:13.325
guard when it happens. because when it happens, you are likely to be stressed out.

00:49:13.465 –> 00:49:15.565
You are likely to forget things.

00:49:15.785 –> 00:49:18.385
You are likely to even freeze up.

00:49:18.705 –> 00:49:25.145
So first and foremost, prepare and get your gear together beforehand, ahead of time.

00:49:25.445 –> 00:49:29.265
And then when you find yourself in a stressful situation, it doesn’t just have

00:49:29.265 –> 00:49:30.725
to be weather conditions, right?

00:49:30.905 –> 00:49:34.605
Talking about stress in general, is we want to focus on our breathing.

00:49:34.625 –> 00:49:39.505
And we’ve talked about in podcasts and before some breathing techniques where,

00:49:39.925 –> 00:49:44.045
you know, for example, combat breathing, you take a breath in for four seconds.

00:49:44.685 –> 00:49:48.645
You hold it for four seconds, you let it out for four seconds,

00:49:48.645 –> 00:49:51.705
and then you hold it again at the bottom of the breath for four seconds.

00:49:51.845 –> 00:49:53.425
And you just keep repeating that.

00:49:53.745 –> 00:49:58.825
There are lots of breathing techniques out there. I’ll let you look on the interwebs

00:49:58.825 –> 00:50:01.305
for yourself, but focus on your breathing.

00:50:01.725 –> 00:50:05.585
Getting your breathing under control can go a long way towards calming yourself

00:50:05.585 –> 00:50:10.305
down, At least to the point where you might be able to take that next step and

00:50:10.305 –> 00:50:13.925
go into action, which is most important action and action.

00:50:14.133 –> 00:50:19.733
In cases of emergency and strife and things going sideways, taking action is

00:50:19.733 –> 00:50:22.873
always better than inaction and remaining frozen.

00:50:23.113 –> 00:50:26.993
The other thing that you can do is positive self-talk.

00:50:27.173 –> 00:50:31.433
I know some people poo-poo that, but I think there is some merit in telling

00:50:31.433 –> 00:50:36.553
yourself it’s going to be okay, walking through whatever list of things you

00:50:36.553 –> 00:50:40.013
need to get or do on the way out, whatever it is.

00:50:40.013 –> 00:50:46.393
Positive self-talk, I believe is a powerful tool, maybe more so in some certain

00:50:46.393 –> 00:50:48.693
cases than others, but just something to consider.

00:50:48.973 –> 00:50:56.213
And then, you know, don’t think negatively about what’s happening to you and what’s going to happen.

00:50:56.573 –> 00:51:00.793
Think about the positive outcome, what that can be, whatever,

00:51:01.053 –> 00:51:03.553
think about it, having a positive outcome.

00:51:03.553 –> 00:51:07.933
And you’re more likely in that positive frame of mind, if you can get there,

00:51:08.173 –> 00:51:14.093
you’re more likely to have that positive outcome or a positive outcome than

00:51:14.093 –> 00:51:19.113
if you’re really just down in the dumps and thinking you’re not seeing a way

00:51:19.113 –> 00:51:20.353
out of this and can’t have it.

00:51:20.493 –> 00:51:23.753
Be thinking about the rainbow on the other side, so to speak.

00:51:24.173 –> 00:51:30.093
So breathing, positive thoughts, positive energy, just to kind of keep that

00:51:30.093 –> 00:51:33.493
stress and anxiety in check, that fear in check.

00:51:33.673 –> 00:51:36.813
Look, you’re going to experience fear. We’re all going to experience transfer.

00:51:37.673 –> 00:51:43.473
It’s acting through it though, acting as though, you know, we got to take that

00:51:43.473 –> 00:51:45.633
action. We got to keep moving forward, right?

00:51:45.893 –> 00:51:49.833
So just some tips there to think about, because that’s all going to be a part of it too.

00:51:50.484 –> 00:51:56.884
And so let’s talk about hurricanes. Hurricanes can be the worst of the worst

00:51:56.884 –> 00:51:58.524
of storms, it seems like.

00:51:59.164 –> 00:52:03.284
Hurricanes typically happen on the coastal regions, right?

00:52:03.444 –> 00:52:08.104
They can happen on the Atlantic, like I think June through November is our typical

00:52:08.104 –> 00:52:13.084
hurricane season. They can happen down in the Pacific around Hawaii,

00:52:13.084 –> 00:52:16.204
and they can actually happen on the West Coast as well.

00:52:16.604 –> 00:52:21.664
Their seasons vary a little bit, but generally speaking, June through November’s

00:52:21.664 –> 00:52:24.344
hurricane season, and they can be…

00:52:25.215 –> 00:52:29.055
Horrific, high winds, storm surge.

00:52:29.255 –> 00:52:32.875
The number one cause of death in hurricanes is actually the storm surge.

00:52:32.995 –> 00:52:40.335
And that’s when the tide is already controlled by the lunar positioning and all of that good stuff.

00:52:40.475 –> 00:52:45.935
But in the case of storm surge and hurricanes, it’s the wind that’s driving

00:52:45.935 –> 00:52:50.475
the rise in water level. And then you’ve got the waves on top of that, right?

00:52:50.615 –> 00:52:55.595
And that storm surge can go inland for quite a ways.

00:52:55.955 –> 00:53:00.855
And a lot of times people are caught off guard with storm surge because it can

00:53:00.855 –> 00:53:02.435
seemingly come out of nowhere.

00:53:02.695 –> 00:53:08.495
Again, not only are the normal tides in effect, but the winds and then the additional

00:53:08.495 –> 00:53:12.175
waves caused by the winds are really the deadly piece.

00:53:12.455 –> 00:53:17.575
And it can catch you off guard because there doesn’t even necessarily have to

00:53:17.575 –> 00:53:23.315
be a storm in your immediate area, as I’ve understood, storm surge can happen

00:53:23.315 –> 00:53:26.155
with a storm a thousand miles off the coast.

00:53:26.775 –> 00:53:32.035
So that’s really incredibly dangerous when it comes to hurricanes.

00:53:32.235 –> 00:53:39.115
And then those flooding waters and that onset of additional water can go inland

00:53:39.115 –> 00:53:41.295
for long, long distances.

00:53:42.175 –> 00:53:47.295
So flooding, we’ve just talked about flooding, but flooding really applies when it comes to hurricanes.

00:53:47.515 –> 00:53:51.375
The other thing that can be dangerous, which hopefully nowhere near the water,

00:53:51.515 –> 00:53:54.975
especially when there’s storm surges going on, is riptides.

00:53:56.175 –> 00:53:58.795
Riptides are tides that are going…

00:53:59.496 –> 00:54:04.856
Perpendicular with the shoreline, so to speak, and they’re going opposite so

00:54:04.856 –> 00:54:08.336
they can pull you out in a matter of no time whatsoever.

00:54:09.136 –> 00:54:14.156
If you do ever find yourself in a rip current, you want to try as you’re going

00:54:14.156 –> 00:54:17.676
to have to fight it because your natural tendency is to get back to shore.

00:54:17.916 –> 00:54:22.496
But what you want to do is swim parallel with shore until you’ve gotten out

00:54:22.496 –> 00:54:25.396
of that rip current because rip currents can take you out to sea.

00:54:25.556 –> 00:54:29.516
And there’s been a lot of people lost due to rip currents and them fighting it.

00:54:29.636 –> 00:54:32.496
Because the other reason why you don’t want to swim to shore in a rip current

00:54:32.496 –> 00:54:36.616
is because it’s going the opposite direction and you’re going to tire yourself out.

00:54:36.856 –> 00:54:41.516
And that’s why people drown in a lot of cases. So if you do happen to get in

00:54:41.516 –> 00:54:46.216
a rip current of any type, which can happen anywhere, remember to swim parallel,

00:54:46.216 –> 00:54:48.596
give you that little side tip there.

00:54:49.336 –> 00:54:52.576
Hurricanes can be dangerous not only because of the storm surge,

00:54:52.656 –> 00:54:56.056
but also because of the extremely high winds that are experienced.

00:54:57.020 –> 00:55:03.260
And then on the outskirts of a hurricane, there can be many multiple tornadoes form.

00:55:03.520 –> 00:55:06.680
Now, they may not be the most powerful tornadoes in all cases,

00:55:06.900 –> 00:55:11.860
but tornadoes can be happening on the outskirts as the hurricane itself can happen.

00:55:12.580 –> 00:55:18.160
And then as the eye of the hurricane passes over, winds are blowing super strong one way.

00:55:18.160 –> 00:55:23.020
When the eye passes over, it’s likely that winds are going to be passing the

00:55:23.020 –> 00:55:30.040
same speed in the opposite direction, really causing upheaval and things being

00:55:30.040 –> 00:55:31.940
torn about because, you know,

00:55:32.020 –> 00:55:34.840
it’s like moving something back and forth, right?

00:55:35.000 –> 00:55:39.760
The chances of it coming loose is pretty good. At least that’s what I have in my mind about it.

00:55:39.840 –> 00:55:42.940
And I’ve never been in a hurricane, but i get

00:55:42.940 –> 00:55:48.120
it nasty stuff we just spent a lot of time about talking about flooding the

00:55:48.120 –> 00:55:54.460
key here is i think again to get the high ground and i think the most important

00:55:54.460 –> 00:55:59.160
piece is the evacuation piece when it’s imminent because there’s all kinds of

00:55:59.160 –> 00:56:01.180
nasty stuff that can come out of a.

00:56:01.836 –> 00:56:05.856
Hurricane, certainly. And I think in preparation for a hurricane,

00:56:06.176 –> 00:56:10.596
obviously having all your gear and things pulled together, having a plan.

00:56:10.756 –> 00:56:19.096
And because evacuation is mostly imminent, knowing what evacuation routes are ahead of time is key.

00:56:19.416 –> 00:56:24.616
Not saying that you have to practice evacuating, but knowing where the evacuation

00:56:24.616 –> 00:56:28.656
routes are ahead of time is certainly important, especially if you’re traveling

00:56:28.656 –> 00:56:30.916
into an area you’re not familiar with.

00:56:30.916 –> 00:56:36.196
And I would also say that at the earliest warnings provided,

00:56:36.756 –> 00:56:38.356
maybe consider getting out.

00:56:38.936 –> 00:56:43.936
Sure, you might cut your vacation short, whatever it is, but you’ve gotten out

00:56:43.936 –> 00:56:48.996
ahead of most of the crowd because you can bet, I will bet, that most everybody’s

00:56:48.996 –> 00:56:52.176
going to wait until that evacuation notice has been placed.

00:56:53.096 –> 00:56:58.116
If you jump the gun, so to speak, and you’re a little smarter and play your

00:56:58.116 –> 00:57:01.656
cards right and go ahead and take action and get out of town ahead of time,

00:57:01.796 –> 00:57:03.156
you’re going to be better off for it.

00:57:03.296 –> 00:57:06.416
So I think that’s something to certainly consider.

00:57:07.136 –> 00:57:12.796
When it comes to the flooding from a hurricane, the water can be found hundreds

00:57:12.796 –> 00:57:16.176
of miles from shore, depending on how bad it is.

00:57:16.376 –> 00:57:20.376
So the flooding is certainly something you want to avoid. That’s why evacuation

00:57:20.376 –> 00:57:26.336
is so key because the area for potentially a lot of miles are going to be impacted.

00:57:26.556 –> 00:57:31.216
And that’s not even to mention the destruction of beaches, the erosion of beaches,

00:57:31.216 –> 00:57:34.196
all of that fun stuff in the mix as well.

00:57:34.316 –> 00:57:37.636
So I think the best course of action when a hurricane is imminent,

00:57:37.856 –> 00:57:42.276
A, pay attention and let weather be a part of your travel plan,

00:57:42.516 –> 00:57:44.696
plans, planning, right? Yeah.

00:57:45.020 –> 00:57:51.480
Don’t maybe look to go to a coastline or a beach that’s known for having the

00:57:51.480 –> 00:57:56.240
worst hurricanes at the time you’re thinking about taking your vacation there.

00:57:56.620 –> 00:58:01.680
Use the weather forecast and the weather history as a means of determining whether

00:58:01.680 –> 00:58:05.120
that’s the best vacation destination for yourself or not.

00:58:05.320 –> 00:58:08.380
And whether you’re vacationing there or living there, I think,

00:58:08.380 –> 00:58:14.640
you know, certainly heeding the notices to get out and evacuate when they do happen is key.

00:58:15.020 –> 00:58:20.940
Even being proactive and getting out ahead of time when there’s even the potential

00:58:20.940 –> 00:58:23.180
is the best course of action.

00:58:23.380 –> 00:58:26.460
One of the other things that I’m going to mention here before we talk about

00:58:26.460 –> 00:58:29.740
snowstorms and blizzards is our smartphones.

00:58:30.440 –> 00:58:35.620
Everybody wants to be a social media star. Some people want to be a local news

00:58:35.620 –> 00:58:40.100
star and send in their pictures and videos of storms as they occur.

00:58:40.100 –> 00:58:46.900
And there’s certainly been a lot of videos posted online of hurricanes and tsunamis

00:58:46.900 –> 00:58:51.400
and bad thunderstorms and tornadoes and all of that good stuff.

00:58:51.400 –> 00:58:58.680
It’s fascinating and interesting and fun and scary. And if we can capture it

00:58:58.680 –> 00:59:04.820
for prosperity purposes or historical purposes or for infamy and fame, okay.

00:59:05.340 –> 00:59:10.560
But a smartphone and being famous should be the last thing on our minds.

00:59:10.560 –> 00:59:13.960
We should be putting the safety of ourselves and

00:59:13.960 –> 00:59:17.420
our loved ones first and foremost and if

00:59:17.420 –> 00:59:23.300
we can film from afar once we’ve gotten safe or things are safe it may not make

00:59:23.300 –> 00:59:29.240
for as interesting or as cool of videos or pictures but you’ll have your life

00:59:29.240 –> 00:59:34.200
and that’s just something that i’m just going to throw in here too on a kind of related note,

00:59:35.253 –> 00:59:39.933
Things, property, belongings are all replaceable.

00:59:40.333 –> 00:59:43.613
Yeah, you may have lost some money. Maybe you didn’t have the insurance policy.

00:59:43.773 –> 00:59:44.953
You should have whatever.

00:59:45.633 –> 00:59:50.953
Things, property, belonging are all replaceable, even if it takes a while.

00:59:51.353 –> 00:59:58.073
You, your family, your sons, your daughters, people are not replaceable.

00:59:59.163 –> 01:00:03.663
So let’s talk about snowstorms. There’s all kinds of snowstorms possible.

01:00:03.663 –> 01:00:08.063
I even heard, I even learned recently of something called ground blizzards.

01:00:08.583 –> 01:00:11.823
I’d never heard of such a thing. Of course, I don’t live anywhere where those

01:00:11.823 –> 01:00:15.743
things can happen, but ground blizzard, just while we’re on that note,

01:00:15.903 –> 01:00:18.283
is when a snowstorm’s already happened,

01:00:18.543 –> 01:00:23.463
there’s fresh powdered snow on the ground, and suddenly winds from up north

01:00:23.463 –> 01:00:29.083
come down and create a blizzard from the snow that’s already on the ground.

01:00:29.283 –> 01:00:34.063
And it’s dangerous, A, because of the high winds and because of the cold air

01:00:34.063 –> 01:00:40.623
moving, but also because much like a natural occurring snowstorm or blizzard.

01:00:41.083 –> 01:00:44.823
Whiteouts can occur with ground blizzards because of all the loose,

01:00:45.223 –> 01:00:49.243
freshly fallen powdered snow that’s on the ground.

01:00:49.663 –> 01:00:53.243
And so the cold air and the whiteouts

01:00:53.243 –> 01:00:57.323
can be just as dangerous in a ground blizzard as a regular blizzard.

01:00:57.683 –> 01:01:00.463
And so what’s the difference between a snowstorm and a blizzard?

01:01:00.603 –> 01:01:01.583
Well, I’m glad you asked.

01:01:01.763 –> 01:01:07.623
A blizzard is usually involving winds that are sustaining 35 miles an hour or greater.

01:01:07.863 –> 01:01:11.283
That seems to be the standard rule of what classifies a blizzard.

01:01:11.403 –> 01:01:17.643
And of course, they’re dangerous because the high winds are going to be blowing,

01:01:17.643 –> 01:01:22.863
you know, the extra cold air around at a rate that normally wouldn’t be happening.

01:01:23.083 –> 01:01:26.723
So you run the risk of getting cold really fast, right?

01:01:27.123 –> 01:01:30.563
Wind is where wind chill factor comes into play.

01:01:30.783 –> 01:01:36.563
And why wind chill is actually so dangerous is because wind chill is when there’s

01:01:36.563 –> 01:01:43.783
so much wind or that the wind is ever present enough to blow the body heat that

01:01:43.783 –> 01:01:45.663
your body does create away,

01:01:45.663 –> 01:01:51.123
making it harder for your body to keep itself And that’s why a wind chill becomes

01:01:51.123 –> 01:01:58.183
dangerous is because your body’s not able to stay warm or warm up again as fast

01:01:58.183 –> 01:02:00.623
as it normally would if there was no wind.

01:02:01.567 –> 01:02:06.087
So if you combine that with the extra cold air that’s happening in the wind,

01:02:06.307 –> 01:02:10.867
now you can see how things can get really cold really fast, which is where things

01:02:10.867 –> 01:02:15.847
like hypothermia and frostbite come into play, especially if you’re not dressed well,

01:02:16.047 –> 01:02:20.107
especially if a storm comes in and catches you off guard where maybe you shed

01:02:20.107 –> 01:02:22.547
some of your cold weather wear.

01:02:22.547 –> 01:02:27.907
This is why layering and then keeping your warm clothes nearby,

01:02:27.907 –> 01:02:31.887
like we talked about considering keeping extra warm clothes in your vehicle,

01:02:32.027 –> 01:02:37.327
is so important because if you get caught off guard and there’s high winds or

01:02:37.327 –> 01:02:40.807
a blizzard or even ground blizzards coming up out of nowhere,

01:02:41.307 –> 01:02:45.087
you’re likely to be caught off guard if you’re not prepared.

01:02:45.087 –> 01:02:51.067
So a blizzard is 35 miles an hour plus, a snowstorm is pretty much anything

01:02:51.067 –> 01:02:58.267
beneath that, but obviously the cold, the high winds, the weather.

01:02:59.163 –> 01:03:06.923
The threat of wind chill and not being dressed properly or wearing cotton or

01:03:06.923 –> 01:03:12.123
not dressing in layers, all of these things add up to potential hazards.

01:03:12.563 –> 01:03:17.443
So you want to have the gear ahead of time, your warm clothing ahead of time.

01:03:17.483 –> 01:03:18.843
You want to dress in layers.

01:03:19.043 –> 01:03:22.643
You want to be paying attention to the weather forecast ahead of time,

01:03:22.783 –> 01:03:25.623
before you go out, before you travel, whatever it is.

01:03:25.623 –> 01:03:29.823
And when it comes to being out on the road, really, especially in the case of

01:03:29.823 –> 01:03:34.003
ice, being out on the road is the last place you want to be in a snowstorm or

01:03:34.003 –> 01:03:35.823
blizzard or a nor’easter.

01:03:35.983 –> 01:03:41.143
You know, nor’easters are severe snowstorms up and down the eastern coast from

01:03:41.143 –> 01:03:45.863
Georgia to New Jersey. They can get really nasty really fast with high winds,

01:03:46.123 –> 01:03:48.603
a lot of snow dumped in a short period of time.

01:03:48.983 –> 01:03:52.383
It’s just not really a good time to be out on the roads.

01:03:53.343 –> 01:03:57.163
The rules of the road still apply. If you’ve got to get out,

01:03:57.443 –> 01:03:59.583
first of all, don’t get out unless you have to.

01:03:59.903 –> 01:04:04.823
The rules of the road when bad weather, when bad rains and thunderstorms are

01:04:04.823 –> 01:04:06.043
happening are still apply.

01:04:06.543 –> 01:04:11.503
Slow down, keep tons of distance between you and the person in front of you,

01:04:11.583 –> 01:04:14.123
and don’t slam on your brakes.

01:04:14.363 –> 01:04:18.083
Now here in Georgia, that goes doubly because here in Georgia,

01:04:18.323 –> 01:04:21.103
it’s not often that we really get,

01:04:21.768 –> 01:04:28.768
fluffy, powdery snow, even though we do, we’re more known for our ice storms and our sleet.

01:04:29.028 –> 01:04:34.208
In those cases, the roads here can get extremely slick, extremely fast.

01:04:34.408 –> 01:04:37.948
And because we’re unprepared, the infrastructures, even though we’ve gotten

01:04:37.948 –> 01:04:42.308
better over the years, it’s just not there compared to places that are used to it.

01:04:42.608 –> 01:04:48.548
And then you could question the driving capabilities of probably 75 plus percent

01:04:48.548 –> 01:04:53.488
of the population here as well, which really goes not very far in being safe

01:04:53.488 –> 01:04:55.988
when out on the road, but certainly slowing down,

01:04:56.288 –> 01:04:59.748
increasing that distance between you and the person in front of you and not

01:04:59.748 –> 01:05:01.348
slamming on your brakes is key.

01:05:01.488 –> 01:05:06.268
And that’s even if you got to get out of it and get out in it in the first place.

01:05:06.408 –> 01:05:12.548
Back in 2014, we were hit with what’s been lovingly dubbed snowmageddon or snowpocalypse

01:05:12.548 –> 01:05:14.588
here in the Atlanta area.

01:05:15.701 –> 01:05:20.861
And we sat around the office. I remember the day very well. We got wind.

01:05:21.181 –> 01:05:25.021
Something was coming. Like a lot of things here in Georgia, it’s never as bad

01:05:25.021 –> 01:05:27.201
as they sometimes say it might be.

01:05:27.621 –> 01:05:32.501
In this case, it turned out being way worse than what they made it out to be.

01:05:33.101 –> 01:05:37.961
My drive to the office at the time was 35 minutes without any traffic at all,

01:05:38.101 –> 01:05:41.461
which was not the norm, but just giving you the comparative place.

01:05:41.721 –> 01:05:45.461
It took me three and a half hours that evening to get home.

01:05:45.681 –> 01:05:51.121
I think we started getting wind of things going south about noon that particular

01:05:51.121 –> 01:05:58.101
afternoon. By 4, 4.30, everybody had made the decision, we probably need to leave the office.

01:05:58.621 –> 01:06:04.381
Traffic was already so bad that we had two parking decks, two parking garages

01:06:04.381 –> 01:06:12.501
that were side by side, and the main primary entrance for each were facing across from one another.

01:06:12.501 –> 01:06:16.741
The amount of cars that were trying to get out of the parking deck alone and

01:06:16.741 –> 01:06:22.561
go down a decline ramp to the street below was backed up.

01:06:23.041 –> 01:06:28.101
I remember very distinctly this BMW being right on my back bumper,

01:06:28.301 –> 01:06:33.221
even though the ramp was getting covered in ice already and some of us were

01:06:33.221 –> 01:06:36.641
sliding, this individual behind me was right on my tail.

01:06:36.901 –> 01:06:41.841
And so idiocy and chaos had ensued before we even got on the main street.

01:06:42.555 –> 01:06:48.635
After that, as I said, it took me three and a half hours to make it home in

01:06:48.635 –> 01:06:54.415
pretty treacherous conditions because we got so much snow so fast that there was nothing to be done.

01:06:54.655 –> 01:06:57.275
Obviously, the road crews couldn’t keep ahead of it.

01:06:57.815 –> 01:07:03.495
Some people, it took 12 hours plus to get home, and some people didn’t make it home.

01:07:03.595 –> 01:07:06.615
They had to stay in their vehicles. They got trapped in their vehicles,

01:07:06.615 –> 01:07:10.815
or they had to go to a hotel somewhere on their path home. It was horrible.

01:07:11.575 –> 01:07:16.115
So, you know, that’s another piece of advice I’ll give around snowstorms is

01:07:16.115 –> 01:07:21.295
when you get a, an inkling that something might be happening again,

01:07:21.295 –> 01:07:25.415
hopefully you’ve planned and prepared and gotten your gear together ahead of time.

01:07:25.415 –> 01:07:29.855
But I’m so glad that I had that jacket and those extra clothes and another stocking

01:07:29.855 –> 01:07:34.175
cap, you know, whatever it was that, that year in my trunk, because I know I

01:07:34.175 –> 01:07:35.875
was better prepared than most people.

01:07:36.015 –> 01:07:40.195
And I was also very fortunate that I made it home. And of course,

01:07:40.295 –> 01:07:44.675
I had to go a lot of back roads and I drove very slow and made it home.

01:07:44.695 –> 01:07:48.055
And I was lucky that I made it home before a lot of people did.

01:07:48.615 –> 01:07:53.655
So, you know, listening to the weather, taking action to have your gear and

01:07:53.655 –> 01:07:58.215
be prepared ahead of time and then being smart if you do find yourself out in

01:07:58.215 –> 01:08:01.135
the weather is the best course of action no matter what.

01:08:02.729 –> 01:08:06.749
And with that we’ll wrap up this episode we’ve talked about heat we’ve talked

01:08:06.749 –> 01:08:11.229
about thunderstorms we’ve talked about hurricanes we’ve talked about snowstorms

01:08:11.229 –> 01:08:14.209
we’ve talked about tornadoes,

01:08:15.289 –> 01:08:19.769
we’ve talked about the difference between watch and warning which still messes me up,

01:08:20.409 –> 01:08:24.389
and we’ve talked about the importance of preparation and getting our gear together

01:08:24.389 –> 01:08:29.509
before things happen so with that i hope you’ve enjoyed this episode i know

01:08:29.509 –> 01:08:33.889
we’ve covered a lot i know i talked longer than i thought i would but i thought

01:08:33.889 –> 01:08:38.149
this was an important topic to cover and look if you think family and friends

01:08:38.149 –> 01:08:39.989
can benefit from listening to this,

01:08:40.749 –> 01:08:45.809
please share it with them um and and leave us that good rating too if you don’t

01:08:45.809 –> 01:08:50.029
mind so appreciate you listening uh thanks so much and we’ll talk to you next.