Storms ripped through the Quad Cities on Monday night and still, power is out for thousands of residents in the area. Not only do many people still not have power in their homes, but stoplights are out causing a bit of a traffic nightmare.

When I was driving to work this morning, I had to give a solid kudos to those using the intersection at Fairmount and Locust Streets. That stoplight was out but so many people used it properly when many people wouldn't.

Storm Damage In The Quad Cities

Monday night say straight-line winds rip through Eastern Iowa and into Wisconsin and Illinois. Very early preliminary reports show wind gusts reaching almost 100 mph in some parts of Iowa.

The National Weather Service of the Quad Cities says they are evaluating some of the damage that might have been tornadoes on Tuesday.

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Street Lights Are Out. How Do I Use Them?

Several streetlights or stoplights are out in the Quad Cities. If you see one out, do one simple thing, TREAT IT LIGHT A STOP SIGN IS THERE. That's right, treat it like a 4-way intersection and if you don't know how to do that, let me teach you.

Before I give you the rules of the road when it comes to 4-way stop intersections, let me lay out a few basic rules before you get on the road:

1. If you are nervous about driving when there is no power, take the keys out of the ignition and go inside.
2. If you have a tendency to wait for someone to wave at you to go instead of knowing when it's your turn, take the keys out of the ignition and go inside.
3. If you don't know what a 4-way intersection is, light your driver's license on fire, sell your car, and go inside.

Now that we have that established, here are the rules of the road when it comes to a 4-way stop intersection according to Top Driver. Remember, these should be applied when street lights are off due to a power outage.

1. First come, first served.

The first car to arrive at the intersection receives the right of way. Easy enough so let's move on.

2. Yield to right.

When two vehicles arrive at a 4-way stop at the same time, and are located side-by-side, the vehicle to the right has the right of way. Get it? Right and right, right? For those of you that don't know left and right, make an "L" with both hands, and the hand that looks like a backward "L" is your right hand. Now take that backward "L," put it on your forehead, and grow up loser.

3. Straight over turning.

If you need to turn at an intersection, USE YOUR TURN SIGNALS. When two vehicles come to a 4-way stop at the same time and they are facing each other, and one of the vehicles intends to turn and the other intends to go straight, the vehicle going straight has the right of way. If you both have to go straight or you both have to turn, you can do that at the same time. You'll be intersection buddies for life.

4. Right over left.

When two vehicles arrive at a 4-way stop at the same time, and they are facing each other and one of the vehicles intends to turn right and the other intends to turn left, the vehicle turning right has the right of way.

If 4 vehicles come to a 4-way stop simultaneously, let the more aggressive driver make the first move and go from there. 99.9999% of the time, everyone knows who got there first.

5. Pay Attention

Pay attention. That's why everyone sucks is using a 4-way stop. No one pays attention. Get off of your phone and focus on the road. Don't be stupid. That's my rule and it's a good one.

On a serious note, as crews start the cleanup process and the process of getting power back to the QCA, if you have no reason to go anywhere then just stay home or take your time going to work.

Also, this joke from Dane Cook sums up most people's feelings about people who wait for the hand wave. This video has terrible quality, has adult language, and is NSFW.