Ready for the worst? ‘Gee and Ursula’ ask if you have a right to feel ‘mad’ about storm prep

Wednesday night’s forecast promised the potential of large hail, damaging winds, and even isolated tornadoes, leading to some Seattle public schools and government offices canceling activities and closing up early out of an abundance of caution.

But when a tornado and “big balls of hail… never materialized,” Ursula Reutin of “The Gee and Ursula Show” on KIRO Newsradio wondered if people have a right to feel “mad” that they prepared for the worst, just for it not to happen.

Gee Scott quickly responded, saying he’d rather always be prepared, “You know what, everybody? I’m done doubting. If it can happen, it’s a possibility.”

‘I would rather err on the side of caution’

As the storm was arriving on Wednesday night, Gee was on a flight back to Seattle and felt like his arrival time took longer than normal.

“What I think they did (the pilots) … around Idaho and Montana… they did a couple U-Turns… and were hanging out.”

The National Weather Service’s (NWS) Storm Prediction Center issued a severe thunderstorm watch along the Interstate 5 (I-5) corridor on Wednesday evening. According to KING 5, the NWS is estimating that around 1,1142 lightning strikes hit Washington and a part of Oregon between 7 a.m. Wednesday to 7 a.m. Thursday.

“There was a lot of lightning,” Ursula said, “and there was some damage. And yeah, maybe you didn’t get the two-and-a-half-inch hail balls, but I’m thankful for that… I would rather err on the side of caution.”