For my fellow storm anxiety sufferers,

I have some advice for you that may or may not help, but here’s to hoping! I have an extreme phobia of tornadoes, so that’s where my experience comes from!

• Don’t fixate. Be informed, for sure, have a phone or TV and radio nearby to be aware of any concerning development, but don’t stare at a radar all day and refresh feeds. Even if it helps you get some peace of mind, you’re going to exhaust yourself with constant episodes of panic about “what if” situations and unconfirmed things that will stimulate your anxiety.

• If you’re at home, be where you feel comfortable. Under your bed? In the closet? In the bathtub? Where ever makes you feel safe, do it! Get blankets and headphones, get comfy.

• Understand the threat— wind, hail, tornadoes, and understand the sheer amount of “just right” things that need to happen to develop a supercell, let alone a tornado the ground— and even then, the likelihood of it hitting you or even being violent is so unlikely!