As a practical matter ...
The survivors of direct hits from the 1996 tornado learned some lessons about how to act and prepare in threatening weather. Here are the words of wisdom they had for The News-Gazette's Rebecca Mabry:
"I'd have what I call a war bag. It's for bottled water, radio, flashlight, a few tools. It's good to have a wrench to shut gas lines off, and maybe a saw or hatchet so if you were in a crawl space you could cut your way out. Maybe even a change of clothes for everybody."
– Allen McConnell, Ogden tornado survivor, now living in St. Joseph
"We have every room photographed."
– Randy Waddell, rural Monticello
"We have a little 5-inch television that's battery-powered and has a radio in it – and a flashlight."
– Judy White of Ogden
"And whatever she can stick in her purse."
– Don White, her husband
"A couple times when we've had to get in the crawl space with the kids, I made sure that we packed a bag with clothes. Everyone had their shoes on. I had my purse. And I took a phone down with us."
– Angela Bensyl, Ogden
"I put an old shovel and sledge hammer down in the crawl space so if the opening were to be blocked, I could bust out some concrete blocks."
– Roger Bensyl, her husband
"I never went to bed without my purse by my head. My husband keeps his shaving kit, and I keep my make-up case out, ready. We never put them away. And we've done an inventory. Taken a lot of pictures."
– Carol Hurt, Urbana
