We have wondered many times if there was anything that we could have done differently that night, and due to the type of injuries Nathan had, the thought of wearing a helmet came mind.  I started telling the meteorologists this and they started getting the word out to have some type of helmet -- bicycle or motorcycle -- in your  tornado safety kit.  We do not know for sure if this would have saved Nathan's life, however, there is at least one documented case of a gentleman in Tuscaloosa that heard this suggestion, followed it, had his house hit by a tornado and lived to tell about it because of this helmet.  This was in September of 2005 and happened to be on what would have been Nathan's 16th birthday.  This was like a little message from God, confirming I was doing the right thing and that I needed to continue in this ministry.

 

Other safety tips:

 

Stay close to a good weather source during severe weather or when severe weather is predicted.

 

Have a NOAA weather radio that is programmable for your area/county.

 

Have a storm shelter, safe room or a room that is completely underground if at all possible. If the above is not possible or feasible, get on the lowest level of your home/building in the center under something sturdy.  A bathtub is often a good option.

 

Stay away from windows and do not take up precious time trying to open or close them.

 

LEAVE MOBILE HOMES and get into a more substantial structure.

 

If in a car, get out and either (1) find a ditch or (2) get into a sturdy structure.

 

Do NOT get under a highway overpass.  It has been thought that this was a safe thing to do if caught outside and close-by to one, but research has shown that this is not a good option.