Alert Auntie Em and Uncle Henry

I'm mildly amused that Tornado Watch 345 (numbered in order from Jan 1 for the whole nation) released at 3:45 PM today.

What do the dollar signs at the end signify? $wiggity $wag?

In the meantime, here are some tips from Mayor Walsh's office (note that the mobile-home warning does apply in Boston, at least to the city's one mobile-home park, on VFW Parkway near the Dedham line).

• Storm cellars and basements provide the best protection in the event of a tornado.
• If you are in a mobile home, plan an escape to a nearby sturdy building for shelter.
• If you are in a home, apartment or small building, go to the basement or to a small interior room on the lowest floor, such as a hallway or bathroom closet.
• If you are in a school, hospital, factory or shopping center, go to the designated shelter area, or an interior hallway on the lowest level.
• Avoid large rooms, all outside walls and windows. Go the center of a room and stay away from corners.
• Use heavy furniture for shelter, and cover yourself with a mattress or a blanket.
• If caught in the open with no shelter nearby, find a ditch, culvert, or low area and lay down flat. Cover your head with your hands for protection.
• Never try to outrun a tornado in a vehicle, abandon vehicles to the side of a road if a tornado approaches and take shelter in a nearby sturdy building. Vehicles do not provide good protection.

All of Massachusetts except for Berkshire County.

I know, I know, none of you "back east" consider Berkshire County to be part of Massachusetts.

And a severe-thunderstorm warning that extends to Norwood, which is not all that far from UHub world headquarters here in Roslindale.

August 22, 1851 saw an epic bad tornado that formed east of Worcester, intensified over Waltham, mowed the hell out of Arlington, Medford, and Malden, passed through Lynn, and went off shore at Swampscott, coming ashore again for a final pass at Rockport!

That's at least an F3 badass!

was able to warn me and possibly save my life. As I listened to Eddie Obvious describe the end times I rode out these most harrowing 15 minutes of my life in my basement surrounded by bottled water and batteries. I think I may be permanently scarred.

any rain at all yesterday?