Tuesday, May 3, 2011

2011 Tornado Outbreak


This is what a F4 Tornado will do to your home


Big trees down everywhere




This field is full of debris from what use to be a near by neighborhood






This use to be a grocery store about a mile from our house



Our new fence was having a hard time standing


All the rain started to creep up to our house


On Wednesday, April 27, 2011 our lives were changed forever as a path of storms took its toll on our city and state. I have always had a fear of tornadoes, but we have been so lucky that we have not had too much trouble with them. In the past six years I have seen funnel clouds and heard reports of a few here and there, but nothing like this. I know like many we had become complacent and had not prepared as we should have for such a tragedy. That morning as the storms rolled in I began to feel a bit uneasy...especially as we lost power and I realized I didn't have a way of knowing what was going on. As the rain pounded the ground I would call dave at work to find out the status of the incoming storms. Dave came home early, around 3pm, and that is when we had a return of power for a short time. We cooked dinner, and while doing so, I looked out the window and the sky was green. Then, the hail started. (See picture above) At that point we convinced Noah that we were going to camp in the closet with our flashlights for a while. This is apparently when one of the F4 tornadoes hit about a mile from the house. Once the storm had passed we got word that three tornadoes had passed through the area. Once seeing the devastation left behind we realized how lucky we were. If those tornadoes had just went straight and not turned we would have been in their paths. Our home suffered no damage other than a close call to flooding and a leaning fence. So many people lost their homes and businesses from these storms. Our community, however, was lucky to have not lost too many lives, though other parts of our state where not that lucky. I have posted a few pictures of the devastation that we could catch near our home. Driving around in days after there is so much more. I pray that through this we will all take the weather more seriously in the future. There will be a long path to recovery for all of us in many ways. I know for my family, it has left a lasting impression.

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