Events like our recent torrential rainfall remind us to be thankful for the men and women who are forced to go to work to protect us and restore much needed services.

Beginning Saturday and continuing strong on Sunday and much of Monday, Vicksburg received more than 4.5 inches of rainfall.

It was much needed, but so much rain so quickly, particularly when accompanied by significant winds, took its toll on trees and roadways, downing power lines and wreaking havoc with motorists.

Monday morning, power was out at Vicksburg High School and briefly at Bowmar Elementary, though power at Bowmar was restored by 8:30 a.m.

Warren County Sheriff Martin Pace said his deputies overnight from Sunday to Monday alone responded to 16 crashes and 42 weather-related incidences, such as downed trees and power lines.

While most of us were home snug in our beds, law enforcement officers, emergency medical personnel, electric power workers and tow truck operators were out in force in the midst of the storm, looking out for us.

When faced with these situations, we would do well to recall emergency workers, power workers and others didn’t create the problem and are working diligently to restore safe order. Please be patient with them.

We should continue to use caution. Rainfall is expected to diminish by the end of the day today, but the soggy ground could lead to more toppled trees and potential landslides.

Take the opportunity to make sure you have what you need at home to be safe, including extra batteries for flashlights, drinking water and food for yourself, your family — including your pets. Keep your vehicle stocked, too, with what you would need in the event of an emergency.

A little planning ahead of the fact can save you from hours or days of frustration and discomfort.