Since it was a Wednesday I was working from home. Which I am ever grateful, as if I was in the office that day I would have been on the highway in Springfield right about the time and place the tornado touched down.
Monkey had been having a hard time with naps that day, as the thunder kept waking him up. It was shortly after 4pm when one of my sister-in-laws called and told us to turn on the TV the storm and tornadoes were heading our way. Husband and I turned on the TV and left the room. Turkey was home from school and was playing, I took Monkey up to my bedroom to nurse him laying down, hoping he would fall asleep. Husband ran up the street to help a neighbor cover her Jeep up. It was pouring, absolutely pouring. As I was nursing Monkey, Turkey came up to tell me the tornadoes were getting close, and at the same time another sister-in-law called and told us the news was saying our area needed to seek coverage. I told Turkey to head to the basement and I got Monkey's gear ready to head down, just as Husband came back in. He was absolutely soaked, and I told him we were going to the basement.
When I walked downstairs Turkey was loosing it, as only he can. He was afraid the storm was going to take his house, or blow off the roof and he was going to loose all of his Legos. He was screaming and yelling with tears running down his face (thank you Asperger's). He was panicked over not being able to find one of his cats and was on the verge of a major panic attack when Husband offered to let him watch Harry Potter on his laptop. Then he was calm. Husband and I monitored the weather on another laptop, and once the storm was clear we went upstairs.
I then proceeded to BBQ chicken on the grill, the sun was coming out. We ate, Turkey finished his movie in his room and Monkey went to bed. Around 7:30pm I headed out to the grocery store. I must have been one of six customer's in the store, so I was able to get in and out quickly; which was good because little did I know another storm was on it's way. As I was driving home the lightening in the sky was amazing. It reminded me a strobe light in a bad Long Island nightclub. No sooner did I get in the house, but the skies opened up again.
As I looked to the south-west the sky had turned this ominous red-brown color. Husband and I put away the groceries and since the cable and internet were out we decided
to watch "Hairspray" while keeping an eye on the weather. We were going to stay up until we were certain the storms were over for the night, and we figured there was nothing like a little John Travolta in a dress to make the evening a little more lighthearted.
In the morning we were able to grasp the full affect of what happened around us. Now mind you, my mom lived in Texas for many years; and in our visits to her Turkey and I lived through more tornado warnings, watches and close calls then I care to think about. But those just weren't the same; not to say they were not as serious or as strong a storm; but they didn't hit home like this.
YouTube video of from my cousin's neighbors. Her neighbor's survived under the stairs, my cousin was in her basement. They were in Brimfield.
Hail from my cousin's house.
Some of the storm picture in this blog, by John Elder Robison are amazing. The shots of the sky are so ominous.
Picture of the house three doors down from our friends J&L in West Springfield.
I could keep going with photos from friends...
Instead, I ask for your thoughts and prayers for all of those affected. I know we'll be donating and helping out where ever we can.
2 comments:
So glad you are OK! I also had an experience where I was suppose to be at the exact place a tornado hit at the exact time it hit. But, by a fluke, I didn't go.
Our prayers are continually going towards those affected.
Wow - scary :( I'm so glad you and your family are all okay.
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