I read this just as the sky was lighting up for about the tenth time over the past thirty seconds. I’ve hardly ever seen this sort of wrath-of-God weather.
Followed a couple of minutes later by my phone lighting up with TORNADO WARNING! TAKE SHELTER NOW!
(We don’t get tornadoes in New Jersey)
Comics I Don't Understand 
Monday the famous Chicago outdoor warning sirens system , normally just heard on their monthly test time, were sounded repeatedly, for tornado alert.
CIDUBill – Yes, we were watching the warnings on TV earlier tonight. I am glad that you (and anyone else in any of the tornado/huge storm areas) are okay.
Mom is in a facility for some physical rehab. My first thought before I remembered that, was that I should call her if the warnings moved towards her area here on LI. Then I remembered – how nice – she is far out on LI away from home and if there is any weather problem – it is the responsibility of the facility to take care of her.
“We don’t get tornadoes in New Jersey”
Ahhh the good ol’ days when certain weather events were specific to certain locations. Here in the DMV, (Ahh, the good ol’ days when it wasn’t called that) I’ve come to expect tornadoes, earthquakes, and something called “thundersnow”.
“Here in the DMV . . . ”
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES???
You’ve been waiting HOW LONG to renew your license?
(That’s what it’s called in WI, so it was the first thing I thought of.)
I had to Google it. All the first several pages came back different locations of Departments of Motor Vehicles. Finally – District, Maryland, Virginia area.
@ It’s Justme – I should have been able to guess that, but I got sidetracked by a similar expression for the east side of the Chesapeake Bay, which is called the “DelMarVa” peninsula. All I can say ist that DMV was not in use for the DC area when I last lived (or visited) there.
P.S. Officially, the Maryland DMV is called the MVA, but many people still refer to it as the DMV.
We used to just call it the “DC area” or the “DC suburbs”. IDK who came up with DMV. Probably the same kids who started referring to 90’s music as OLD SCHOOL. Sigh, I’m tiptoeing into Geezer-ville.
I never heard “DMV” when I lived in that area either. I also assumed tygalilee was talking about the DelMarVa. (Seems weird to use the same initials in the same order for another region so close. I guess “the MVD” sounds too Soviet and a DVM is a digital voltmeter. But that leaves three more permutations…)
@CaroZ First heard it used about…..6 years ago. Didn’t like it then; grudgingly accept it now.
When I moved to Michigan, I was told that I had to go to the Secretary of State to get plates for my car. Being used to DMV or BMV, that took me by surprise.
CIDU Bill’s “tornado alert” is interesting too. I have always known 2 types of alerts – tornado watch, meaning conditions are favorable for a potential twister, and tornado warning, where one has actually been spotted.
“(We don’t get tornadoes in New Jersey)”
Are you sure about that?
Apparently there was indeed a tornado in New Jersey last night, according to news reports.
https://www.nj.com/news/2019/05/nj-weather-officials-confirm-a-tornado-hit-sussex-county-during-strong-thunderstorms-tuesday-night.html
NJ does appear to have a history of tornado reports: https://www.nj.com/weather/2017/06/a_look_at_njs_tornadoes_in_the_past_decade.html
There also have been numerous tornadoes in New York and Massachusetts as well over the years.
I love thunder and lightning (from inside, of course) and was having a great time last night. (Not so much the cats.) Then I got a flash flood warning on my phone, but no worries, I’m at home and we don’t generally have to worry about flooding here.
Then I got a tornado warning. NO! DON’T YOU DARE!!
What a difference it makes to be a homeowner, worry-wise.
In Missouri, the :License Offices are part of the Department of Revenue. Sort of. Most are actually franchised out to individuals or organizations, who add a fee that they keep. That used to be a big patronage opportunity, but I think they use competitive bidding these days. For plate renewal, I use the online site.
What I meant was, tornadoes aren’t normal here (if “normal” still has any meaning). In all the years I’ve had a cell phone, I’d never before gotten a “Take shelter!” warning.
I have relatives in Illinois, and they have had tornado warnings on their weather radio thingy fairly often it seems…except for the times I’ve visited them.
I’m in the middle of a cross-country trip. Today started in TN and ended in KS. There have been a string of tornado events in the nation’s midsection in recent weeks (I think there were 8 or 9 days in a row with tornado events. There was a “buckets of water fall from the sky” rainfall as I left TN into western KY this morning, but not thundering.
From
https://earther.gizmodo.com/why-are-there-so-many-tornadoes-right-now-1835129625
“The next two weeks are expected to simmer down, at least a bit.”
Locally, we’re approaching 1993 flood levels, so that’s fun.
I play Resident Evil: Revelations 2 one day when fireworks were rattling my windows. A horror game becomes much more effective when you might be showered with broken glass.
When the possibility of a tornado hitting NYC metro area was announced (as part of what hit NJ) Robert looked at me with panic in his face and his “what do we do expression”. I replied – basement, unfinished side. Why that side? First, there is an extension to the house which has it’s foundation outside the only window on that side – other side has two windows with nothing to block anything on the outside of them. Second, the house support beam runs through that side of the house and we can stand under it.
My first thought, though, was not very nice – I was glad that my mom is in a rehab (physical not drinking or drugs) center so that I don’t have to call her and explain and convince her to go down to her basement.