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Tornado Preparedness and The Galle Lamp

I have mentioned that my parents collect antiques. I grew up in a house of many beautiful antiques and collectibles – and we weren’t allowed to touch anything! It was like growing up in a museum. As a kid, I didn’t appreciate the value and beauty of the items, but as an adult, I have my own collections and my kids can’t touch any of them!

We live in Nebraska, part of Tornado Alley, and it’s that time of year to be prepared for tornado warnings. When I was younger, we never had a tornado touch down in town, but we had the sirens go off many times. As we know, in the last few years tornados have touched down in Lincoln so it’s even more important to be prepared! When I was growing up we had our way of being “prepared.” My brother was forced to the basement rather than being able to watch the weather from the porch. I honestly don’t remember my emotions during these storms, but my mom had us in the basement next to the water heater. My mom was the controlled chaos in the face of panic. She gathered blankets, filled the bathtub with water (to this day, I still have no idea why), she got the dog corralled, and protected us, the kids. We had hard hats and helmets on our heads and blankets wrapped around us. We had flashlights, batteries and the AM transistor radio. We were ready for the tornado! My dad, on the other hand, had his own way of preparing. He was gathering the valuable antiques! He was going to save and protect all he could! One particular item was first on the list: The Galle Lamp.

This special lamp was part of the Art Nouveau movement and designed by French Artist Emile Galle. He was born in 1846 and became a famous glass artist in 1889. Many lamps and other pieces of his work are out there They’re very valuable and we have one! My parents still have the lamp and it is safe, so there is no need to “get the Galle Lamp” when the sirens go off! Now, I just look forward to inheriting the lamp in the will!

We look back and laugh about this story we share of my dad saving the antiques, but it’s really not the best way to get prepared for a tornado. So, since it is tornado season it is important to be prepared and know what to do when the sirens go off! Here are some resources and tips to make sure you’re prepared!

https://www.ready.gov/tornadoes
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/types-of-emergencies/tornado.html
https://www.osha.gov/dts/weather/tornado/preparedness.html
https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/safety-topics/emergency-preparedness/tornado

Be safe out there!