It’s Gonna Be A Bright, Bright Sunshiny Day….(Or Not)
Since the recent tornadoes in our community, I can tell you that the usual dread I experience when a warning is issued has been replaced with sheer terror. Apparently, I live in quite the tornado alley.
The kids were released early from school today because a line of storms was moving our way. It wasn’t even raining when the boys got home so I wasn’t too concerned. Number Two was supposed to go to a sleepover so I fed him a snack, got his things together, and left to take him to his friend’s house. It was only sprinkling.
I stopped in a dollar store not even a mile from my house because a granola bar craving hit me that just wasn’t going away. It was barely drizzling when we went in but within three minutes it got ugly. The clerk took a phone call and immediately began yelling, “Lock the doors! Lock the store! There’s a tornado close by!”
I stinkin‘ freaked. All I could think about was the fact I was less than a mile from home and if we were going to get blown away, I wanted to be with my family when it happened. I threw my things on the counter and took off determined to make it home.
I’m nothing if not super-intelligent.
We jumped in the truck, soaked to the bones, and headed towards home with rain coming down so hard I couldn’t see one foot in front of the vehicle. I’ve always heard when the tornado gets really close that the rain stops so I figured I was still good at this point.
Who said watching endless re-reruns of Storm Chasers doesn’t have its benefits?
The whole way I’m chanting, “Please Lord Jesus just deliver us safely home. Please Lord Jesus get us home” while my kid is freaking in the backseat. I totally get it now about the importance of the captain maintaining some composure for the sake of the shipmates. The Skipper lost her mind. And and the little Gilligan? Let’s just say calm was something he left back on shore.
After nearly rear-ending someone who had decided to just stop driving in the middle of the road and then barely missing a ditch, we finally swerved into the driveway. “GET IN THE HOUSE AND RUN TO THE BATHTUB!” We burst into the house to find father and other son in complete serenity watching tv together. Cable. No weather warnings on cable.
I put all of the kids in the bathtub and turned on the local channel. Sure enough, there had been rotation spotted not far from here. I still never convinced Luke my hysteria was justified because he’s way too cool to get discombobulated over something as minor as an F4 Twister. After all signs of red disappeared from the radar, I lowered the alert level back down to DefCon1 and let the kids out of the bathtub.
Donald Rumsfeld would have been proud.
Needless to say, I’ve had all the excitement I can take for one day. It’s pajama time for me, girls!
Oh, I watched the weather. Nary a cloud in sight for the first half of tomorrow. Here’s to sunny skies….
Oh my, sounds exactly like hubby and I. I had all the kids on bed with him, while sat in the kitchen monitoring the computer. For our house our walk in closet is best, so they were lying right by the closet….in case.
I am so sorry. I dislike tornadoes greatly, give me a hurricane anyday.
Rain just started pounding on my window as I read your post. Hubby is sitting in the boys room to comfort them. Funny thing is that our 3 year old is terrified of thunder and our 5 year old started teasing him. Well, guess who got freaked out??? Mr. 5 year old. The other one was as calm as could be. Go figure.
Anyway, I remember once looking out the patio at a thunderstorm in NC when a bolt hit right in front of our building. You were just pulling up at that time too. What is it with you getting home right in the middle of a severe storm?
I was contentedly shopping on the other side of town when my cell phone rings. It’s a recorded message from my son’s school system that they are going into severe weather lockdown. Scary!! So glad you were safe.
I, too, am usually huddled with my kids in the tub while my husband is standing on the porch.
Me and the kids were asleep when I woke up to loud thunder and bright lightening! I jumped up closed the doors and went back to bed. I did not realize we could have been blown away! Ouch! What kind of Mom am I?? Glad you and kid got home safe! Have a nice week-end! Love You!
Agh! I would have freaked, too… growing up in San Diego, we got excited when it sprinkled.
Now in MN, we get a little bit of that excitement and it terrifies me. Better than earthquakes, though.
Glad you’re safe.
We have been fortunate here in the south, as the storms have hit all around us, somehow we have escaped the severity (except for all of the rain, and watching the mississippi rise and rise.)I am thankful to hear that you and your family are safe. Storms like that scare me silly!! God bless – Laurie
My stomach was churning for you while I read this. I’m so glad y’all are okay. Aren’t you thankful that you still had your kid with you? It would have freaked me out for my child to be at someone else’s house during a tornado. The mental image of you storming in the house and your hubby sitting there on the couch was priceless!
Tornados scare the begeebers out of me. Lived through one (in MD of all places) and that was quite enough for me. So glad you’re ok!
I would have done the same thing! I am terrified of storms and tornados send me over the edge. Thank goodness you still had your child with you. This weather is so odd, isn’t it?
Those of you who don’t live in Texas might not have heard of the Jarrell tornado from 1997, but it was just up I-35 from us and skirted around us after it flattened that town. I prefer to keep my distance, thank you.
So, so, glad you made it home.
And that y’all were not at your marathon baseball games like last week!
DefCon1. You make me laugh. So glad you are ok.
I am so glad you all were ok!
You make me laugh with the way you react to things – totally the way I would have reacted as well :)
My husband says I am dramatic i just like to call myself a realist -hehe
Blessings,
Kim
Glad you’re all ok. I think I need a nap just thinking about it!
Kelli
How funny, sound like an episode me and my hubby just had while we were staying in a hotel that we were awoken by a loud fire alarm at 5:30 am. My reaction was histarical(you know hurry get the kids out and safe) and his was very calm (you know just check things out and see what happens). Guess that is proof of how God made us, one big ball of emotions, who thinks with our heart.
Glad your ok.
Jennifer
Haha. This made me laugh. We sorta had the same experience – I was hearing on our local station about all of the bad weather statewide. So bad, in fact, that they pre-empted all of the regular shows to have nothing but weather on. (a little annoying to me – why can’t they just put the little map in the bottom corner of the screen…don’t even get me on my soapbox). Anyway, I heard the weather guy say my neighborhood’s name. Said we were in the direct path of a tornado. HOLY COW! I was getting prepared to see my car fly down the street. We rushed to the basement and watched out the window as about 4 raindrops fell from the sky. That’s it. No wind, no crazy lightning, nada. BORING.
Next time the weather guy says my neighborhood’s name, I’ll probably ignore him. Then you’ll see me on the news wandering around lost because I was thrown 400 feet and survived.
Just think – we only have about a month of tornado season left! Then hurricane season will be here, which will most likely bring more tornadoes……
I hear you. I spent a night in my Mom’s walk-in closet with my trembling (literally) 10-year-old last week, while her younger sisters slept through everything. Now if we could just dry out…
And mochawithlinda, I remember Jarell. I remember what it did to the cows.
Wow! Glad to hear everything is O.K.! Did I ever tell you I love living in Michigan! Very very few Tornado’s!
GLAD you are all safe! I know that was a scary time! AND wish I could help you on your top blog post…but I am completely useless when it comes to that kind of stuff!
Have a SAFE blessed day!
That’s how I envision I would do things. But several years ago we had a funnel cloud pass over our house. Blew out our windows, skylight, and damaged the roof. All the while, we’re looking out the back windows (the ones that aren’t breaking in pieces flying across the room) shouting to look at how the tree limbs were going straight up in the air. Too ignorant of the fact we’re in a tornado. We learned it was a tornado when we saw all the damage. So much for my bathtub scenario.
Glad all is well!
Blessings in Christ–
Oh wow,that sounds terrifying. I can totally relate to the husband thinking you are over reacting. I completely think you were right!!!!
Us girls have to stick together.
Julie
Donald Rumsfeld would have been proud.
Made me laugh out loud Lisa!!!
I am glad y’all are ok. :)
Hugs~
Fran
Storm Chasers has to be one of the greatest tv shows out there! :)
I’m thankful everyone is safe!