Yesterday was a beautiful day, nearly hot, with lots of sunshine. But in the evening, a storm rolled through...one of the bad ones that swept the midwest. We have a satelite tv system, with no local channels. Around 10:30, we thought we'd better check the local news, so got online and turned on a radio only to learn that a tornado was headed our way. I called our neighbors to find out if they have a tornado siren here, and Charles told me that they do have a siren and if we heard it, we should head on down there to hang out in their basement. I wasn't worried until the golfball and baseball-size hail started to fall. Hollyhock House has a metal roof and it sounded like we were being bombed. We couldn't have gone out in it without being knocked out cold. This house has no basement and there is a window in the central bathroom, making it a bad choice to shelter in. We got the kids and climbed into the jacuzzi tub in our bathroom, though I had very little confidence in it for sheltering us, especially with the washer and dryer and a cast iron sink in the same room. I tried to think what else I would want with me and ended up with my shoes on, three books to put over our heads, and my purse, because I have a morbid dread of being killed without any identification on me (I know, weird). Robb paced and watched the sky and I held the kids while we sat in the tub. It was an eerie feeling. We lost the satelite tv coverage at one point, but the power didn't go out, which was comforting. In a few minutes, it passed. On the radio, people were calling in to report their damage and how the storm was hitting them and where. Mostly we heard that the hail had broken windows on people's cars and in a church. When it was calm, we headed out to check the Aztec and take these pics of the hail. Providentially, there was no damage, which just amazes me with the way that stuff was falling.
Everybody else okay? I know more Happiness friends had storms closeby....so check in to tell us your storm stories.
6 comments:
wow..just a little scary..hopefully it won't happen when i come out there...i don't do so well with tornandoes been through a couple, don't really care for the idea of being sucked up into the sky..
But i figure maybe if that is the way God will choose to take me to heaven i just won't fall back down to earth..
so glad your family is okay. sounds scary!! i'm sure the kids were so freaked out. if you can believe it, since we've moved to florida, we have never even had to evacuate because of hurricanes. they always seem to pass over our city. have never even had to seek shelter in a tub! praying it will stay that way.
again, so glad you didn't have any damage and all is well.
The tornado went directly over my parents house in Little Flock. They and the house are ok. They lost several trees, one large one in the back yard that was completely uprooted and missed the workshop by just a few feet. They lost power and had a harrowing night.
Jaye T.'s sister and family had all the windows in both their vehicles shattered by the hail. They live near downtown B-ville. They also had damage to their front porch.
All in all, we came through it ok. I thought about calling y'all last night, but after checking in with my parents it was too late. I didn't think about you not having the local news to prepare you for it. Next time this happens, I'll give y'all a ring.
The tornado's are not a common occurrance here, but the hail is. So, in choosing a future nest for the Ryerse's, make sure you don't have a metal roof, and you have good homeowner's insurance. Most everyone gets a new roof via insurance claim every 2-3 years because of hail damage.
Actually, I liked the metal roof...they sound horrible but they are wicked strong! I think I would have been terrified if we were in a subdivision...in the face of a tornado, those little houses are like antelope with a lion in pursuit. It's only a matter of which one gets taken out.
Darla, I am still really amazed that the kids weren't more scared. Mattie could sleep through anything and I don't know how much she even remembers. Vin doesn't like thunder, but there wasn't much of that, so he didn't freak out. I was glad they aren't old enough to read the fear on my face!
Glad the fam's okay, A.
we had a little of "the weather" here too....of course, I was trying to get Dora to and from the dr's during the worst of it but all is well....by the way, Ron's been accepted at Case Western and Franklin Pierce so far!!!!
We're all ok. Lots of uprooted trees on our street (including one in our back yard that hit the transformer, and knocked out electric in half our house). We huddled in a central hallway, which happens to be directly under a vent for the attic fan--so it was a loud experience. The kids were a little angry about being pulled out of their comfy beds, but just the adults were freaked out. So glad you guys weren't harmed!
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