Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Stormy pt 2

Kelsey's most recent post reminded me that I had not updated about the storms. Thankfully, my family is safe. However, that cannot be said for many in the tri-state area.

We spent a couple of hours in the basement, just in case. I picked Ally up, and then we headed downstairs. I had lots of supplies with us--snacks, water, flashlights, cell phone, camera to documents any damage--again, just in case. I even had the girls keep on their sneakers, in case we had to leave or any kind of damage, like walking over broken glass. Right after we got home, I turned on the news and heard that a tornado had possibly touched down, and was 10 minutes away from the city where my brother works. I called my mom and she was panicked, as was I. He wasn't picking up his cell phone! Once I finally talked to him, he was more than halfway home and out of the worst (or so we thought) part. Annoyingly, he was rather flippant and nonchalant about the bad weather. Adding to my panic on Friday afternoon was the fact that the National Weather Service had designated it as a "PDS"--particular dangerous situation--and that it is rare for that designation in this area. Apparently, it is normally used in Tornado Alley.

So, I huddled downstairs in front of the tv while the girls played games. My husband was on the road, and all I kept hearing about was possible funnel clouds and severe damage. Some places saw hail the size of softballs! The only thing that was remotely reassuring was that the most severe storms seemed to be south of us, and my husband was able to get home safely.

Sadly, several small towns in Indiana and Ohio were devastated--some were practically wiped off the map. And the fatality list continues to grow...so tragic. So scary. Please keep these families in your hearts and prayers.

That night, as I watched the news, I looked at Mike and said, "This is why I panic. Because you never know when it will hit YOU."

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