We had two big, nasty storm systems come through the Minneapolis / St. Paul area in the last week. They were pretty much expected. Our temps were over 90°F, and the humidity was just about as high. It felt more like summer in New Orleans instead of Minnesota.
Last night was the 2nd episode where I live (Lakeville, MN), and we had a full hour to get ready for a line of storms that was producing spotty tornadoes here and there. 
Thankfully, we have a concrete crawlspace under the kitchen reinforced with steel beams (a 20'x40' space about 3' high). That's where we head when it gets rough outside.
Last night we were just fine. By the time it got to us, it was just heavy rain and 50 MPH winds. But what if we'd been hit, and had to walk through the wreckage after it was all clear? Here are a few things we did to get ready:
- We wore lace-up sneakers or boots with thick soles in case we had to walk over broken glass or splintered wood.
- We grabbed blankets, sweatshirts, and hoodies.
- I zipped up my purse and briefcase and stashed them in with us, and Steve put his wallet back in his pocket. We didn't want to have to dig through debris to find cash, ID, or credit cards!
- The crawlspace entrance was blocked with a gate to keep the dogs in with us.
- The cats were in their carrier -- no way was I going to run around trying to find 2 scared cats!
- We had water, a rechargeable lantern, matches, and a lighter -- but darned if I could find the battery-operated radio!
- We fully charged both cell phones.
- I took my notebook PC, with a full battery and wireless card.
- Believe it or not, I forgot food (which is odd -- I'm fairly food-motivated)!
I know one thing: from now on when I'm showing houses, I'll keep an eye out for the best place to ride out a storm. We don't always have an hour to prepare, but it's great to know exactly where to go when they pop up!
Barb
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