Weather-Related PTSD

About three years ago I experienced a tornado that caused a tree to fall down on my house which nearly caved the roof in. During that event I genuinely felt like I was going to die. Ever since I cry and get shaky when there are storms with high winds (or any wind to be honest), I monitor the weather constantly, I refuse to go outside if it looks like it may rain. If they say in advance that bad weather will happen I will stay up literally all night to monitor it. I have constant nightmares about tornadoes, in which I often feel very scared. Recently I had a very intense dream in which a tornado ripped through the building I was hiding in and picked me up and threw me leaving me paralyzed. Another dream also where I was driving and had to hide in a cellar away from a tornado with winds of 120 mph. Btw even severe thunderstorms with no tornado freaks me out. I don't know what to do as no one takes me seriously.

Have you considered seeing a therapist about this?

Thunderstorms freak me out too. Seeing a therapist would help.

I had nightmares about tornados 3 times a week for as long as I remember. Both my mom and grandmother were high anxiety about storms so it's not surprising as a kid I had terrifying dreams of funnel clouds every where. Lived through several tornados (grew up in Iowa where the sirens went off constantly spring and summer.
Now for the really crazy part: I stopped having nightmares about this after I watched the movie Twister! It was the damnedest thing. Must have been some kind of "exposure therapy". I am NOT recommending this to you!!!! I'm just mentioning it since it was so weird. A visit to a therapist who specializes in trauma recovery to discuss is not a bad idea, could help reduce your anxiety level a bit and reduce the frequency of the nightmares

I get freaked out by high winds

not thunder, but winds that are so high they start blowing the gates shut or they start blowing chairs over, etc

the howling of it just puts me off, plus a few years ago I was trapped in the house during a power cut by myself, and all I could hear was that sound (the howling wind), so it does not give me good memories either

Hi Pinkbutterflies!

I grew up just a stone's throw from the Louisiana line in Texas and have been through some bad-*** tornadoes (How bout an innumerable # of 100 foot pine trees surrounding your TRAILER home during a TORNADO??), not to mention, the hurricanes! Remember Katrina? I do!
My advice is to educate yourself on storm safety. Your local library would be a great place to start. Be the boss of those pesky storms. Get your home storm ready, in case roads get closed, someone is hurt, electricity is out, etc. This thread reminds me that I should get a barometer, we had one in the house when I was a kiddo.