When severe weather breaks out....

"When severe weather breaks out, we break in."

Growing up, this was I phrase I heard all the time on the local radio station. It meant that when severe thunderstorms were in the area, the radio station literally suspended all regular programming and went to almost constant coverage of what the weather was doing. They had storm chasers in cars equipped with radios and the host in the station simply moved from one chaser to the next having them give reports on the conditions where they were driving. One could find out where the heaviest rain, wind, and lightning were and where it looked like possible tornadoes forming--just by listening to this station. They even issue special Storm Alert maps, so you can find their locations by the coordinates on the map. In between these rounds of reports, the host in the station would give updates on what the current National Weather Reports were saying--what watches and warnings were still current or had expired.

When I moved out to the more urban east coast, I was initially surprised to find that people didn't care "how much" it had rained--at least not beyond "not enough" or "too much." When there were storms in the area, I couldn't find a radio station that even seemed to acknowledge the fact. If you stayed tuned in long enough to the right station, the DJ might mention that there was a warning or watch in effect for the area.

Recently, I've been hearing one of the local station out here advertising with, "When severe weather breaks out, we break in." The ad goes on to say that when there is snow or ice in the area....they have the latest closing and cancellations! I haven't actually been listening to the station when there has been "severe weather" in the area, so I don't know how much they "break in." I really can't imagine that they go to continuous coverage of closings and cancellations, so I'm thinking their definitions of both "severe weather" and "break in" are entirely different from the Kansas definition!

Everytime I hear the ads, it reminds me how different the weather culture out here is....and it makes me homesick for a good Kansas thunderstorm!