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I have always been afraid of storm winds, so I am a nervous wreck about this situation. (It's the 3rd potential outbreak for this area since July 26). Ironic that it is on the one year anniversary of the Lee flood, when our house was wrecked by 6 1/2ft of water on our 1st floor. I can't handle another natural disaster. Anyone have any Xanax to spare?
I'd advise against taking drugs. In a phrase, you need to "man up". You cannot stop the wrath of nature - you can only prepare for it and be tough enough to withstand whatever it dishes out. This applies regardless of whether you stare and take in the awesomeness of a wall cloud or run for cover as soon as you see it. In a derecho, it isn't likely that you will have significant damage to your house like a flood would cause. The main threat is power outages, and there are steps you can take to make a potential outage easier. Also remember that this is only a potential outbreak, and even if there is a bona fide outbreak of severe weather the odds of your house being hit hard aren't that great. Monitor the radar during the forecasted outbreak time. You should only start to get worried if you see a bow echo heading towards your location, not when there's a forecast the previous morning telling of a chance of it happening.
I was only kidding about the Xanax, but if only it were easy to control anxiety. The flood has had lasting effects for me as well as my neighbors. It's not easy to forget the terrible loss, and the physical and emotional exhaustion that came with months of rebuilding. With this impending windstorm, I'm not so much worried about our house (no trees around it) as I am our cabin in the state forest in the Poconos, surrounded by trees. Yes, I know what will be, will be, but I'll probably be gun shy of bad weather for a long time.
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