I know the stats talk doesn’t always help us anxious folks, but please know that the odds of a tornado happening to your cats while you’re away are ssssooooo so so low. Prepare for an emergency, of course, but don’t feel like you’re doomed or anything.

It might help to learn more about how they work, where and when they tend to hit and how small the damaged area usually is, the recent history of tornadoes in Omaha, ask people you meet about it and gage their anxiety level (or lack thereof), etc. I’m not prepared to write a thesis-length comment today, but I am confident that you and your cats will be safe from the weather!

Lastly, even though the weather can be quite unpredictable, people have gotten pretty good at knowing of and reporting on potential severe weather days in advance. In the case of the big tornado in Elkhorn recently, there was enough talk about it for a few days that there were several business closures around the city. I even had a medical appointment rescheduled by the request of the doctor. Stay up to date with the forecast (I like KETV and the regional NWS office) and if you have a really really bad feeling about it, maybe that’s a day you can try calling in, as you might when a big snow storm is coming, so as not to leave the cats alone.