It's Monsoon Season in Chicago!

I'm proud to let you know that today is a big day in my life. It was announced today that the current floor emergency leader in my office had resigned, and that they needed someone to take his place. Our administrative assistant thought that I would be perfect for the job (most likely because of my unparalleled leadership skills, and my ability to stay cool under pressure) and offered it to me. Before I accepted I had a few questions:

1) How much power will I have? (none)
2) Will I get a pay increase for putting my life on the line? (no)
3) Can I get a whistle? (maybe)

I graciously accepted. For my first order of business, I immediately changed the name of the title from "Floor Emergency Leader" to "Safety Czar." The next step is to order that whistle.

I'm sure you can imagine my excitement this afternoon when the news broke that the entire Chicagoland area was under a severe thunderstorm advisory, and tornado warning. A huge line of intense storms was heading right for us. We all crowded around the windows and gazed at the dark clouds to the West. Just then, Mother Nature unleashed her fury. A wall of rainfall began blowing against the glass and steel buildings of the Chicago Loop. People scurried about, looking for shelter. Debris was flying high into the air as the strong wind continued to change direction.

Then over the loud speaker we heard:

"Attention all employees! We are currently experiencing severe weather; please move away from the windows and into the central point of your floor. This is not a drill. Please move away from your desks immediately. I repeat, this is not a drill."

I knew it was my time to act. As Safety Czar of the 13th floor....I needed to care for my team. Armed only with a bright orange hat, corresponding nylon vest, and my determination for survival, I successfully led the majority of my colleagues into the safety of Conference Room A.
The storm passed nearly as quickly as it came, and it was safe to return to our desks.

On my way home, I got to see that this was a pretty intense storm. Trees were down all over Lincoln Park, even some uprooted and thrown onto parked cars. There was broken glass, overturned garbage cans, and debris all over the streets. In my neighborhood, there are trees blocking a lot of the side roads as well as fallen power lines. Here are some pictures I took just on my street.