Originally published in the Summer 2019 edition of the Virginia Defender, issue 59, printed August 23. Reproduced here for accessibility and archival purposes. To find other stories in the Summer 2019 issue or to download the full PDF, see this post. For the full web catalog, see our Full Issues page.

A big storm hit the Richmond area earlier this summer. The Defenders heard a tornado warning on the radio and went door-to-door in the community, warning the neighbors and advising them how to protect themselves: unplugging all electric devices and staying in a windowless room for protection against flying glass from broken windows.

After the storm passed – with several tornados touching down in town – we were wishing we had a good list of things to do to prepare for bad storms, but most of the information we could find online involved spending a lot of money, like buying generators.

So we put together a list of more-or-less working-class tips, which now is posted in downloadable form on our website: DefendersFJE.blogspot.com. (Or: Working-Class Guide to Storms.)

Please think about sharing it with your neighbors and your social media networks.

And above all, look out for each other. In the event of a disaster, the government may or may not be able – or willing – to help.