Two years ago, my family was visiting my wife’s grandparents in Vermillion, South Dakota. We decided to go out for dinner, which involved driving to the next town. Along the way, I noticed big clouds to the west. As we were in the middle of the prairie, we could see the full sweep of the storm, and I commented on the curtain of rain that was ahead of us.

That wasn’t what I should be concerned about, my wife replied, and she pointed to the storm’s southern flank. There, hanging down like a big filled-in ‘Y’, was a funnel cloud. We were speeding west along the highway and it was well south of us heading east, but we watched it carefully as it dipped down to the ground.

It never turned into a tornado. It roped out before it got halfway to the ground, and we drove on to the next town. There, we had a ‘spot the tourist’ moment. My wife, her mother and both grandparents expressed relief that nothing had come of the funnel cloud. I, on the other hand, thought that the whole experience was quite cool and wanted to see more.

I mention this to illustrate the difference between Ontarians like myself, and Midwesterners. A week ago, a line of strong thunderstorms swept into southern Ontario, producing hail and the possibility of tornados. On Twitter, it was an exciting time. People across the province had never seen storms so big, and there was a lot of anticipation as the clouds rolled in.

You’d never get that in the Midwest, where strong storms are not uncommon. However, one other difference between Ontario and the Midwest is that, in the Midwest, there are tornado shelters everywhere, especially in malls. These are clearly marked, and easily accessible. The Midwest also has civil defence sirens that go off when a tornado is detected on the ground. We don’t.

Midwesterners are blasé about storms the size Ontario experienced last week. They also know well enough to take shelter should one pass, and that’s a difference that can save lives. When Waterloo Region received a tornado warning last week, my family headed for the basement. Almost no one else did. This is not to say that Midwesterners are intimidated by nature. They just know enough to respect it when it comes calling, and that is something we should all do.

Something similar happened when Hurricane Irene threatened New York, forcing declarations of emergency and mandatory evacuations of low-lying areas. Hurricane Irene wasn’t strong, but it was heading towards an area that hadn’t seen a direct strike in years, and one so densely populated that a disaster would be that much worse. Fortunately, Irene weakened before it hit, and New Yorkers were able to ride out the storm with far less damage than what could have occurred.

Strangely, this comes as a disappointment to some, who have chided officials for overreacting. These people are idiots. Yes, the media tends to sensationalize weather phenomena, but it doesn’t change the fact that bad things happen when nature gets rough. Being prepared costs little, especially compared to what the cost could be if the worst happens and we aren’t prepared.

In the face of last week’s storms, Ontarians should ask how prepared they would be if something worse came along. Do they have a space to shelter? Do they have batteries for flashlights and radios? Do they know what to do should they have to wait a while for help to come?

This isn’t to say that one should be afraid. Midwesterners aren’t. But Midwesterners are prepared should the worst happen, which gives them a lot less to fear. Such prudence may seem paranoid . . .  until the worst happens to you.

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