No weather radar. No smartphone alert. No TV warning. There is — the sky. And 300 years of experience.
How They Tell
Green sky = hail. Yellow = tornado possible. Silence (birds quiet, wind dead) = storm close. Pressure: joints ache (in elders — 100% accuracy).
Actions
Livestock — barn. Children — basement. Windows — shuttered. Horses — tied in stalls (horses panic from lightning). Wait.
After storm: check roof, fence, trees. If damage — barn raising in a week. Neighbors don't ask 'need help?' — just show up.