By Brian
Lesson 1: Fires
While under one roof, we had worked unsuccessfully to get the kids to respond urgently to fire alarms and take action. It did not help that it seemed like just opening our oven could set the whole house alarm system screaming “Fire” like an episode of Beavis and Butthead. Still, we knew that responding appropriately to fires and other dangerous situations was absolutely necessary for the kids as they sought living independently.
We managed to trigger the apartment fire alarm more than a few times while cooking. It was certainly a nuisance but not a concern and our kids did not cook on stove or oven (yet) so it had not been an issue. Then early one evening we heard the actual Apartment Building Fire Alarm and let me tell you it was the loudest sound I have ever heard. Given our buildings are connected, it went off in both apartments. We grabbed the dog, called the kids and evacuated quickly out the front door. Dylan and Jolee were a bit slow to exit but not too bad in the grand scheme of things.
Turns out the worst part was standing outside and getting eaten by mosquitos while waiting for the fire department. This turned out to be a good thing as we were able to talk through the entire situation and get our first fire drill out of the way before we went out of town for an overnight stay. We now have a plan to head to the main office building to wait out any future fire alarms in safety and comfort.
Lesson 2: Twister
It was just another Saturday morning, a month or two after we moved into the apartments when we awoke to the alarm. This one was not the fire alarm, but our phones indicating severe weather in the area at a very early hour. I realize it is not smart, but in the past, we have certainly slept through our share of tornado warnings, usually waiting until every news outlet had officially interrupted to bring you breaking news of the pending storm before taking it seriously. Given that we had always been under the same roof, our current living situation was different and an important chance to teach the kids by example. In effort to model good behavior, we quickly grabbed the dog and headed, albeit sleepily, to safer ground in the kids’ first floor apartment.
If we thought we were moving a bit slow, the kids were moving at glacial pace and letting us know their disagreement with leaving their bedrooms. Finally, we got everyone ‘staged’ in the correct place adjacent to the kitchen, on an interior wall and away from windows. Although the kids continued to whine about being up so early, the storm seemed to pass with little fanfare, and we decided to reward the kids with breakfast at a new restaurant.
As we exited the apartments and hopped into our car, we started to notice the aftermath of the storm. We searched our phones and found that a tornado had in fact touched down nearby and left some significant damage in its wake. Below are some pictures of our mailboxes which were literally yanked off their concrete base and deposited in the middle of the road right outside the main building.
We are the second set of apartments in from the main road and less than a football field away from the mailboxes. The apartment building next to us had substantial roof, gutter damage, and even a smashed window on the first floor. The chain link fence behind our apartments which is adjacent to a golf course also had significant damage along the property line. We observed several police and rescue vehicles across the street where the twister had won its battle with a strip mall.
Upon reflection, it certainly could have been a whole lot worse. Mother nature was teaching us a lesson on preparation, knowing what to do, and act quickly in the face of pending storms. It was a good lesson for all of us.
