Water tables in some of the south make basements very uncommon, if not impossible. I lived in or near the Mississippi Delta region my entire life except university and recently. I have been within 200 yards of three tornadoes. The first was when I was a baby so I don’t remember it and have only heard tales of my father, who was at work, climbing over trees blocking the road to check on us. The second was when I lived in Little Rock and hit my neighborhood about a few blocks from us. That was a bad one, trees down blocking most streets and no electricity for days. However, the only damage to my house was a few shutters. Thankfully, the only direct hit was an EF 0 and probably off the ground by the time it hit our house. No warnings on that one, and we left the house for vacation before daylight that morning and didn’t even know about it until later in the day when our housekeeper called.

Thanks Dee, we are fine! It passed by so quickly and the sun came out. I have never had an emergency notice on my phone though and it's so weird. The phone doesn't ring, it makes these high pitched sounds like an alarm until you pick it up and open it. I didn't know what I was hearing. Then there is that message from the Emergency Broadcast system. Makes me happy to know that in an emergency that works! I'm sorry you are still dry. I seem to be in the jackpot area. I've barely had to use my sprinklers and all 3 of my rain barrels were so full, that I only had to put the diverter down on one of them to fill it up again with this past rain. It's an embarrassment of riches, although I also have had foliar issues on a number of plants and low productivity on the tomatoes this year. I have had quite a few of those summers though, where you have forecasts for rain and every town around you gets it but you. I am really glad I measure the rainfall though, because although it rained pretty hard this morning, it wasn't for that long a time and I would have guessed about 2 inches, so it was a surprise that it was actually 4. So I highly recommend to anyone that doesn't measure their rainfall yet, that it's worth it. I didn't buy a device, I just took a large plastic container like you get at the supermarket when you buy soup in the precooked section and I use that standing up in the corner of a raised bed with a rock to keep it upright. We are supposed to get a lot of rain with the latest Hurricane coming up the coast, so I hope you get a bonanza on Sunday, Dee!

I was watching the Ryan Hall's channel on YouTube as it was happening, and praying for Iowa. I always watch his channel to keep up with the weather ahead, and as it's happening. It was so heartbreaking to hear about those people dying, especially the children. Prayers for all those affected by the tornadoes. My state lost 74 people in tornadoes in December 2021, so I know how devastated Iowa feels right now.

Just looked under "Unanswered" and saw this. Thanks for thinking of us. It was not in our area, but not all that far either. We are in a hook, so weather from the gulf seems to go east or west of us.