Weather Phobia out of Control

[dashboardchic19]

Last night we had bad weather where I live. There was a tornado warning in my parish. I flipped out. I live in a tiny, tiny old house. The walls are really thin. I packed up my daughter and ran to my grandparents next door. They live in a large brick house. That’s my plan of action any time there is bad weather. I don’t know what to do about my fear of the weather. I check the weather over and over again. I check multiple sources. It is really messing with my life. If bad weather is coming I feel shaky, and anxious. I am really irritable with my family because I feel out of control. I can’t focus on anything else but the weather coming. My whole days are wasted waiting for impending bad weather. Anyone have any tips?

[Kobojunkie]

It sort of makes sense that you would be afraid of the weather considering you say you live in a tiny house with walls that are thin. You don't trust your house to protect you when there is bad weather, and considering the many news reports of devastating storms across the country, I don't thing your fears are really that irrational.

Why not move in permanently with your grandparents or maybe find yourself a home you can trust to whether the storm instead?🤔

[BonnieSue]

Do you have a bad weather radio? We live where we have to know about the frequent bad weather and there's an emergency broadcast system. We live in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. Not many people know about these broadcasts and radios so ask in your area of some place where they might know or look it up online. We're the only people we know who have this radio so asking your neighbors may not be helpful.

It makes a very loud emergency sound and gives an emergency broadcast which it repeats and tells us the county and cities and exactly what problem weather is expected and from what time to what time the warning is in effect. If a major thunderstorm with high winds is coming you probably will get a warning. If there have been tornados, you definitely will get a warning. There is always time to get next door. The exception might be if the 1st tornado was just reported and that can't be helped. This could allow you to relax a little more because you know that most of the time you'll get a warning if there's bad weather coming.

[AnxiousGirl87]

Me too. I live in tornado ally, so tornadoes are a regular part of Spring around here. I've always been afraid of them. But in November 2015 we had a rare fall severe weather outbreak. We sat in the basement at my parents church for over 2 hours as 2 EF4 tornadoes and 1 EF3 tornado came very very close to town. Something about being stuck in the basement so long with so many people and the horrible roaring noise we heard made my fears even worse. I find it helpful to have a weather radio. I also find it helpful when I know things are going to get bad to pull out a backpack and put everything I'll want to take with me to the basement if I need to go there and have it ready to go. I also always make sure I'm dressed, shoes on, and ready to head out the door at any moment. I can't control the weather but I can make sure I'm alert, have a plan, and am ready to put the plan in motion as soon as it's needed and that brings me a small amount of comfort.