MIDWAY, Fla. (WTXL) -- "What happened to all the bad weather?"
"Why hype up the storm forecast?"
"So much for severe weather. Nothing happened to me."
"Why did schools close when it's so beautiful outside?"
While the recent bout of severe weather in the local region hasn't generated too many of these types of questions in my inboxes, the inquiries pop up in small conversations and social media remarks.
The late-winter time of year is prime time for local severe weather events. We've had many in this time frame in the past, including some historic and life-threatening events.
In the most recent situation, when careful analysis of forecast data determined a rare Moderate Risk severe weather categorization for parts of the region, the general public and government officials took proper action to prepare for the potential side effects from rough thunderstorm activity.
An element that made the setup even more risky was the forecast arrival of the storms -- late at night, when most people are sleeping. The risks of injury and death from severe storms are higher when these events happen at night, as reaction times are shortened because of sleep.
While thankfully most of the local population came through the Moderate and Enhanced severe risk with nothing more than a few snapped twigs, howling winds, and unsettled children shaken by nighttime thunder, a select number of residents endured tornado warnings, a scurry to safety, and the aftermath these isolated strongest storms caused.
Several tornado warnings were issued locally, including in Grady County, where a 16-minute-long twister swirled, snapping trees and creating spots of property damage.
Some may question the reasoning behind the preventative measures taken in advance of a possible high-impact event, when the overall result left most residents relatively unscathed.
Given the higher potential for storm-triggered damage, at a point when clean-up time would be limited and existing post-storm hazards such as downed power lines would be present at an inopportune period -- the morning commute to work and school -- it was the most prudent approach for many local school districts to cancel the school day, or delay the start of classes in some cases.
The delay or cancellation was handy for those spots that did experience more force from the overnight storms, such as western and central Grady County, where a tornado just before 3:00 a.m. created significant problems and a hefty clean-up effort in the hours that followed.
While some may sarcastically respond with clever comments and memes to the impacts they felt in the storminess, residents who actually did wake up to downed trees, electricity outages, and some structural damages likely appreciated the steps taken to mitigate the effects of the storm's aftermath.
Those who didn't get in on the worst the storms had to offer should consider the Moderate risk event as good practice for severe weather preparedness: Think about creating a storm action plan, and practice it once it's established; determine where the "safe place" is in your home or workplace; set up your contact points in case everyday communications are interrupted by a storm situation. These are just a few suggestions, and many others exist that aren't listed.
The irony of it all: This week is Florida Severe Weather Preparedness Week. Wednesday morning's storms either provided a pop quiz in your readiness knowledge, or a strong urge to know about readiness and response when the next round of severe storms comes.
