Wednesday, February 06, 2008
OH NO!! NOT AGAIN!!
You never know what a day will bring. Yesterday was such a day. It was so warm here I had the door and windows open for two days. It was nice to shut the thermostat off, however, when this happens, we know we’re in for trouble. Trouble that happens after dark when we are the most vulnerable.
Our normal action for tornado warnings is to keep TV on the weather station. It wasn’t long until hail the size of softballs and tornadoes just south of us was reported. Every few minutes it was coming closer to us.
In South Missouri we are close to that warm, soupy, weather from the deep South and with the cold front traveling with breakneck speed from Canada….we are usually in the area where the two fronts collide. Just where tornados love to spawn. Becky and I held our ground as the path was about 100 miles south of us. Then it traveled through areas we are familiar with and was directly over West Plains which is 20 miles South of where we are.
Torrential rain poured down with some straight wind and I’m not a scardy cat but those sirens are very convincing…..after dark, they are right down spooky. Becky and I took one look at each other and headed for the garage. There is one corner that has been built back in a bank about 3 to 4 feet high. It seems our best place to go for safety because it is universally known the worst place to be is in a mobile home.
Thunder and wind raged outside and we couldn’t tell much of what was going on. It seemed to last forever…..and then, silence. We came out into the dark and looked around…..the storm had gone around us. Thunder was rumbling off to the East of us and the rain stopped. It was over.
Today I have been watching the coverage on areas around the country who weren’t as fortunate as us. As always, my heart goes out to the people who are faced with such tragedy. In all my years I have been spared losing a home and I cannot imagine everything you own being uprooted and blown away. The pain they must feel as they look at the mess of twisted wreckage left behind…..and the gratitude they feel for escaping with their very lives.
To all those affected by loss, for all the neighbors helping one another and for the City, County and Federal help……the acts of kindness on every level, I give my thanks. With so few deaths in such an enormous outbreak of tornadoes, I would have to say……God was merciful…..but then, He always is……….
Essentially Esther
Our normal action for tornado warnings is to keep TV on the weather station. It wasn’t long until hail the size of softballs and tornadoes just south of us was reported. Every few minutes it was coming closer to us.
In South Missouri we are close to that warm, soupy, weather from the deep South and with the cold front traveling with breakneck speed from Canada….we are usually in the area where the two fronts collide. Just where tornados love to spawn. Becky and I held our ground as the path was about 100 miles south of us. Then it traveled through areas we are familiar with and was directly over West Plains which is 20 miles South of where we are.
Torrential rain poured down with some straight wind and I’m not a scardy cat but those sirens are very convincing…..after dark, they are right down spooky. Becky and I took one look at each other and headed for the garage. There is one corner that has been built back in a bank about 3 to 4 feet high. It seems our best place to go for safety because it is universally known the worst place to be is in a mobile home.
Thunder and wind raged outside and we couldn’t tell much of what was going on. It seemed to last forever…..and then, silence. We came out into the dark and looked around…..the storm had gone around us. Thunder was rumbling off to the East of us and the rain stopped. It was over.
Today I have been watching the coverage on areas around the country who weren’t as fortunate as us. As always, my heart goes out to the people who are faced with such tragedy. In all my years I have been spared losing a home and I cannot imagine everything you own being uprooted and blown away. The pain they must feel as they look at the mess of twisted wreckage left behind…..and the gratitude they feel for escaping with their very lives.
To all those affected by loss, for all the neighbors helping one another and for the City, County and Federal help……the acts of kindness on every level, I give my thanks. With so few deaths in such an enormous outbreak of tornadoes, I would have to say……God was merciful…..but then, He always is……….
Essentially Esther
