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The Joy of Life On The Water
Why I live in a region plagued by tornadoes and hurricanes that would make your hair stand on end
A pier in my part of the world, possibly rebuilt after Katrina / D.M. Tilley on Wikimedia Commons
Tornadoes have been doing pirouettes in my region. When they’re nearby, our TV screens go dark abruptly and display a message like this:
I live on the beach, and some tornadoes result from waterspouts that have moved onshore. Waterspouts can — as the National Weather Service deadpans — “cause significant damage and injuries to people.”
When a tornado may strike, whether by land or by sea, a tornado siren wails. Houses on my part of the Gulf Coast have no basements — the water table is too shallow — so people rush to windowless bathrooms or pantries. If there’s time, they grab pillows to cover their heads and bodies. Tornadoes occur year-round here, and the warnings can remain in effect for hours — a long time to spend in a bathtub with a pillow over your head, no matter how much you love the book or Wordle puzzle in your hand.
