Experience Iowa

Coming to Iowa City from Illinois, I thought I knew what to expect when it came to spring weather. Rain? Obviously. Storms? Been there. Tornadoes? Unfortunately, also familiar. But let me tell you… Iowa spring weather has definitely humbled me a little bit.

First of all, the sirens. In Illinois, I was used to hearing sirens only for tornado warnings, so when I heard them going off here for the first time, I immediately assumed that was the case. But nope. It turns out Iowa uses sirens for severe thunderstorms, too. That was something I definitely did not know, and I wish I had known beforehand!

Then there’s the residence halls. If you live in a dorm, you will hear the indoor alert system, and just a warning, it is LOUD. Like, no chance you’re sleeping through it loud. The first time it went off, I was genuinely scared because it felt and sounded so urgent and serious. It tells you to seek shelter immediately. Now that I’ve heard it a few times, I’m a little more used to it, and usually the RA will tell you what you should do next.

And honestly, the most surprising part? Life doesn’t stop. I always assumed that if there was a tornado warning, everything sort of shuts down, but that is not always the case here. I had to walk to class while the tornado sirens were going off. It was pouring rain, insanely windy, and my umbrella was basically useless. I showed up completely soaked from head to toe. Not my best moment.

So if you’re coming to Iowa City, here’s my advice: be prepared. Invest in a good umbrella (not one that flips inside out immediately), a solid raincoat, and definitely some rain boots. Spring here is definitely an adjustment, but it’s also kind of part of the experience. You learn quickly, adapt even faster, and eventually, getting caught in the rain just becomes another story to tell.

That’s all for now!
-Jordan