2026 04 19

Rural road, storm approaching. Outside of Champagne, Illinois. April, 2024. © Clayton Hauck

We pulled into Kingdom a few nights back determined to show Haley a good time for her belated birthday celebration. As Allison was about to put a fresh homemade pizza into the oven, and I struggled over making cocktails without the prep I’d neglected to do, the house power shut off. Outside, a massive rush of wind had just moved through the surrounding farmland area, which properly spooked me enough to rush back inside, while struggling to close the kitchen door behind me. Would this be our first tornado experience?!

One problem you face inside a 150-year old stone farm house in the middle of nowhere is that you’re basically alone. Sure, the farmers across the road protecting their livestock are technically around, but there’s no municipal warning siren to alert you to take shelter. The small interior windows don’t give you much visibility to the potentially-impedning doom awaiting you outside (this must by why wrap-around porches were invented!). Best thing you can do is head to the basement and hope for the best. We, of course, finished our pizzas as the power thankfully kicked back on; I passed out some mediocre cocktails to help take our minds off the twisters; and once the storm passed we rode into town to partake in the weekly karaoke bar night along with a rather robust crowd, considering the situation.

That’s springtime in the Midwest.

-Clayton