April 08, 2006

Deadly storm

I returned home around 1 pm from shopping. I went early because I knew there were going to be storms coming through and I didn't want to be caught out in it. The news began to report the storms were really bad, tornados were dropping down everywhere. I am watching the report in a stunned silence as they are giving the path the storm is taking. I had just been there, shopping. They start highlighting roads on the news in the direct path of a tornado that has dropped down. My sister works there, right there on that road. I grab the phone knowing they aren't watching television and probably listening to a satellite radio. When I get my sister on the phone I am telling her "Take cover, take cover now. There is a tornado on the ground, its heading right for you." She hangs up immediately and tells her coworkers.
Still watching the news, waiting for information. My closest friend calls me, she is driving with her children into the heart of one of the worse cells to get her other child. Her radio is out in her car and counting on me to direct her as to the danger. She drives through a dead area and is going to call me right back when she gets on the other side and has cell phone service.
The phone rings again. It's my other sister, she isn't at work today. Her house is in the heart of that cell. She is hearing alarms and bells not sure what they are. I'm telling her to get in the bathroom now, that's the tornado warning system. She goes to her bathroom with a pillow to cover her head. She starts crying, she's scared. I'm not going to get off of the phone with her, trying to talk her through this. She begins to get hysterical yelling "Oh my God! Oh my God!" "what's going on? What's wrong?" I ask
"There are two forming right outside my back window, Oh God!" she says
"Get in the damn bathroom now!" I'm yelling
"I am in the bathroom, I can see it through the back door."
"Shut the frigging bathroom door, if the glass door busts its coming right to you. Shut the God damn door!" I tell her.
She shuts the door. She begins to panic. Not being able to see it coming is causing her to be irrational. She begins to yell "I cant do this. Oh God, I cant stay in here. I cant breathe."
"You don't have a choice, you stay in that bathroom damn it!" I'm screaming now.
The phone goes dead.
My power goes out.
I don't know if my sister is ok.
I cant direct my friend who is counting on me.
I can do nothing.
It was a little over an hour before I got power and found you my sister is ok. It was even longer before I found out my friend and her children were ok. The town is in devastation. The news is saying there were several tornados ranging from a category 1 all the way to a 4. We were all very lucky.

2 comments:

Justice said...

I am glad you are all okay. We all came so close to having a really, really bad day.

Patty said...

Oh gosh, how horrible for all of you. I am glad everyone is ok.