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Tornado

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I’m writing this from my phone. We had a tornado touch down here late yesterday afternoon. What had been an intense thunderstorm suddenly turned into the scariest 15 minutes I’ve ever been through in my life. We had no warning, so we hadn’t taken cover. I watched as the top part of our dead hickory came crashing to the ground. I saw things flying through the air.

We still don’t have power. The lines from our house to the street are down. So are our neighbors’. The area around us is full of downed trees, cars in ditches. I saw scores of people walking home, passing by our house, because they’d had to abandon their cars.

Truly terrible. I have laundry to do, have to get packed, and I have no way to print out my train ticket. I slept a few hours but that’s about it. Say a prayer for all of the members of my community who are suffering right now. I’ve heard about roofs gone, cars crashed – it goes on and on.

But we’re safe.

Comments

  2. prayers said and will be repeated.

    best wishes for your trip – the traveling there and home and your goals at chatauqua, for happy reunions and no more tornadoes …

    kathy

  3. OMG, how scary. We watched one from a distance several years ago and that’s as close as I ever want to be. Glad you guys are safe. Prayers coming your way from Kansas.

  5. Oh my goodness. I’m glad you, Don and Scout are safe. It sounds so scary. Thinking of you and your neighbors.

  6. Thank God you, Don and Scout are okay. Saying prayers for you and your community. Stay safe.

  7. Too scary! I am glad you three are safe. Good luck packing and getting ready.
    Thinking about you,
    Eileen

  8. Claudia, I am so thankful you, Don and Scout are OK. Prayers being said for all who are touched by this tornado. They are so so scary. Thank you for letting us know you are alright.
    hugs,
    Linda

  9. Must have been so scary! We are not used to them in New England and without warning too. Praying that things come together for you soon.

  10. Oh Claudia, my heart was in my throat when I read this. I was just one of many who were in the path of the devastating “Black Friday” tornado here back in 1987. I have nightmares about it to this day.

    Thank heaven you’re all safe. Please, please be careful on the roads. There may be traffic lights out, downed power lines and sinkholes (try to avoid any unusual puddles). My daughter and I are keeping your family and community in our thoughts and prayers. Please give Scout a special hug from her friends up north.

  11. Please know that all of you and your community will be in my thoughts and prayers today. Grateful for your safety.

  13. Glad you, your family and home were spared, but unfortunate that others may not have been. I know communities ban together at times like this to help others.

  14. Oh my goodness Claudia, I am so sorry to hear about this, but so glad that you are OK. I hope that your home is alright and that you can get away on your travels alright. Sending all good thoughts and hugs. xx

  15. You’re safe..that’s the important thing..Hope everything is working soon..We had one several years ago that tore up a bunch of trees on one side of the street..Had to be a little one..Hope no one was hurt..

  18. So glad you are all OK. This crazy weather!!
    You do know if you have to leave a day later that everyone will understand, and the world as we know it will go on. Stuff happens and everyone understands when it does.
    Take care and be careful if you do any clean-up in the yard!! Boards and nails can land everywhere and anywhere. Take a walk thru sweet Scout’s corral, too, just to be sure.
    Thinking of all of you.

  19. OMG! Thank goodness you are safe. I know how frightening that can be…my thoughts and prayers are with you, Don, and Scout. Hope you have a safe trip…and can get your ticket printed! Stay safe my friend! ;)

  20. Glad to know that you’re all right. How unusual for your corner of the world, and how terrifying.

  21. Oh My Gosh Claudia..that is so scary..you must have been terrified and sweet Scoutie too….here’s hoping your power is back soon..Be safe my friends..Hugs..

  22. Dear Claudia, Don and Scout. I am so thankful you are well and safe. What a nightmare for you, especially Claudia as you get ready to be away. Thinking of you today and hoping your community is okay. We were under Tornado warnings on Thursday and had a huge storm pound the area for a while. A Tornado did touch down but further south from us and the damage was minimal, no one injured. Safe travels. Sincerely, Chy

  23. Claudia, I am thinking positive thoughts for you, your little family and your neighbors. Please be very careful if you leave your property.

  25. Claudia, My thoughts and prayers are with you, Don and Scout and your sweet neighbors as you regroup after this trauma. I’ve never even come close to a tornado warning, so it’s hard to relate, but I know fear of an earthquake. Be safe as you go on your travels and my God keep His hand on your loved ones as well.

  26. 15 mins is an eternity in Tornado weather. I absolutely hate it! I hate it for y’all … For anyone!
    I’m so glad y’all are safe. You ,Don and Scout…
    Praying for your community– and hope there is no more damage there at MHC !!!
    Hope the power is restored soon.

  27. Claudia, Don and Scout. So glad you are all ok. So sorry to hear what happened. Prayers and good energy sent for the neighborhood

    Suezk

  28. Terrified is too poor a word, I’m sure. I was on a schoolbus during a very brief – and very rare in this region – tornado in my senior year of high school, and as another commenter said, that is the nearest I ever hope to be to another one. Glad you are all safe at MHC – that’s what’s most important. Here’s hoping the power’s back soon and that there was only minor damage in the area. With a tornado, maybe a missing roof is considered minor damage? PS – just an idea but can you e-mail your train ticket to your phone – it would be something you could show the Amtrak people? Take care and good luck affected…

  29. Wow! Glad you are safe! There was a tornado not too far from us too. We’ve certainly had enough wild weather lately, haven’t we? Too bad we can’t ship some of that water out west.

  30. I am so glad you are all safe. I hope you get the power back on soon. If you still are leaving tomorrow, safe travel prayers.
    Hugs to all of you,
    Deb

  33. Well, so glad you are safe. Those storms can simply pop up out of nowhere and it sounds like that is exactly what happened in your area. Hope the lines are all back up soon!! Stay safe.

  37. Blessings to you and your neighbors. Stay safe and may your journey to your job be a peaceful, uneventful one. xo

  38. Dear God. I’m hardly blogging right now after a medical procedure (I’m okay; not overly-serious or anything…) but checked in briefly and read this startling and worrisome post. I am so sorry you are having a hectic, scary time and I am glad you and Don and Scout are not hurt. I’m sure you’d rather not be going away right now. Do take good care. I just don’t associate a tornado with your part of the country. I have been on the fringes with tornadoes twice/thrice when I lived on the Gulf Coast and I’d never seen anything like it…black as darkest night at two in the afternoon, preceded by a sickly green sky.

  39. I’m thankful you’re all alright. Tornadoes are scary…one went through here earlier in the week and tore part of the roof off of our high school and caused a lot of property damage. We’re always so thankful when the damage is just to property and lives are spared. Wishing you well!

  40. Glad your safe…scary!!!! The weather is surely changing all over the place. Bad timing with all you have to do to get ready for your trip. Did you get much of a warning? Prayers for all.
    Addie

  41. Thank God everyone is ok. That must have been so scary. Will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.

    Hugs

  42. Tornadoes are frightening and unpredictable. I’ve been through scares but have managed to miss the real ones because we were warned ahead of time and stayed clear of the area. When I was about 6, we returned from an Easter visit to my aunt’s to find the back street of our neighborhood had been totally demolished and my friend and his family were in the hospital in Jackson, MS because of their injuries. I pray that cleanup in your area will be quick and you will be able to make your trip. Best wishes,
    Tammy

  43. Dear Claudia, I have just read this and I will join in keeping your community and you & Don and dear Scout in my prayers. Terribly frightening to witness, we have not been anywhere near a tornado, only monsoon storms & earthquakes…all this strange weather is frightening. Praying for your safety if you must travel soon.

  44. How terrible! Mother Nature can be an unforgiving B____! Glad you and Don are safe. Sending prayers to everyone.

  45. Thoughts and prayers for you community. I can not even imagine what that must feel like. Hope all will be okay.

  46. I didn’t hear a thing about this until I read your post. Thank God, you, Don and Scout are fine. How frightening for you. Is there a friend close by who has power and could print out your ticket? Saying a prayer that everything will work out fine.

    Big Texas Hugs,
    Susan and Bentley

  47. Claudia, I will keep all of you in my prayers. How very scary. I hope everything is okay. Bless you, xoxo,Susie

  48. Oh my goodness, Claudia…how scary! I’m so sorry you experienced this, but thank goodness you, Don and Scout area all OK. {{hugs}}

  49. Oh Claudia ~ how terrifying and awful for you and your neighbors . Glad to hear you three are safe. Prayers to your community.

  50. Checking in after being away on vacation. I’m glad you and Don and Scout are safe. Sounds very frightening.

  52. So glad y’all are safe. The rest is inconvenience, once you know you survived! I am from the Tupelo, Mississippi (birthplace of Elvis!)area which got hit hard a year ago April 28th. Things are slowly getting to a new normal here. The landscape will be changed for years, as I am sure it will be there.
    I pray you will be able to get to finish up and leave on time for your work.
    Maybe the storm displaced the rodents!

    Susan

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