I woke up this morning to a notification on Facebook about all my associates who marked themselves safe from the “Western Ohio Tornadoes.” I had gone to bed early and didn’t know what had happened.
“Where am I, 1974 Xenia?!” I asked myself. People who grew up in Western Ohio totally get that.
Loyal Scaiaholics know I grew up in Dayton. I remember being fascinated by tornadoes as a li’l scamp. In fact, I vaguely recall looking at a picture book about the Xenia tornado quite frequently as a li’l munchkin.
I grew up in Dayton and went to college in Indiana, but the first place I actually saw a tornado was [obviously] Portland, Oregon.
Back in aught-eight, I was waiting for a press conference to start near the Portland Airport. My boss called me and said a tornado warning had just been issued across the river in Vancouver, Washington. He told me to pick up my microphone and get in the car.
I was doing live reports with the anchor when I hit the Glenn Jackson Bridge.
I may not remember the exact wording, but it was to the effect of, “Brooks, I see the dark clouds just across the Columbia,” I said in my reassuring, official-sounding news voice. “I’m coming up on the highest point of the the bridge now, and I’m just getting my first look over to the other sid–OH MY GOD. IT’S A TORNADO. RIGHT ON THE GROUND! IT’S RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME.”
I bring all this up because a meteorologist I grew up watching is drawing a lot of attention for something he said during coverage of the Dayton tornado last night:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vww1IeQ02is#action=share
This isn’t just a Dayton problem. Newsrooms all over the country get these phone calls. It’s happened since I moved to DFW.
Someone might call in and yell at us for interrupting a show to talk about a tornado way out in Palo Pinto County. Whoever picks up the phone tries to explain nicely that the storm in Palo Pinto is going to whip you in Frisco or Plano eventually, so maybe keep an eye on it.
Simpson has drawn a lot of attention for the scolding he gave Ohioans, but even the Bachelorette is on Team Simpson:
Lolz too funny, thanks Dayton, Ohio for the love, but be safe. naders are no joke. https://t.co/RdxYOUpx4w
— Hannah Brown (@AlabamaHannah) May 28, 2019
While I write this, an email chain is brewing with the family. California Brother was making sure Dayton Brother and Mama Scaia are okay.
The Scaia brood is fine. The Ol’ Scaia Place is south of the path of the tornado.
But who knows where Hurricane Bachelorette Fans will strike next?!
