Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Stormy Day


Well we had a crazy weather day yesterday! You should all know that I have bad weather phobia. It could be that I grew up in the panhandle and saw several tornados with my own two eyes and spent more times in a cellar than in restaurants each spring. So when thunderstorms start to roll in, I don't play around. Here is how the day went....


12:45 - I checked the radar and wow nelly, here they come! I start my journey of collecting my children from their schools. Unlike living in the panhandle, nothing around here is all that close so I have to travel a major interstate to get to child #1. He is about 40 min. away so I leave a little early.


1:00-1:30 - Get pounded by POURING rain in traffic


1:45 - Collect child #1 and head for child #2


2:00 - 2:30 - Get pounded by POURING rain in traffic


2:30 - Arrive at child #2 school just in time for the rain to stop and realize that it is sort of an erie quiet. Hmm.... Have I seen this before?


2:40 - Is that a tornado siren? Oh Yes, it is! Child #1 and I evacuate our vehicle and head inside the school. As we get inside another mom said that all of children are ducked and undercover.


2:45 - We are told that the storm is shifting direction and we can go back to our vehicles so that we can collect our children.


3:00 - 5:00 - RAIN, RAIN, RAIN.....See above photo of the flooded backyard


5:00 - Rain stops and the sun comes out. Birds began to chirp and to a "normal" person all seems well. Unfortunately, I am crazy enough to have the local radar on my favorites and I know that IT AINT OVER!


6:30 - I leave for my lab class a little early, that is, you got it, 40 min away. Good thing because about 15 min later hubby calls to tell me that it is pouring at home and headed my way.


8:45 - Leave lab and call home so that hubby can check the radar. He tells me that maybe I can beat it home, but there is a big storm about to hit. Now this is where the real panic sets in, because the combination of driving, dark, and storms horrifies me.


9:15 - I am within a few min of home. I am getting pounded by rain (story of the day) and notice that the rain is sort of swirling and the wind is blowing so hard that I am having difficulty keeping my van between the lines. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDIN' ME.....TORNADO SIREN!


9:20 - Arrive home to find my family in the closet. That is where our children slept last night ( we can actually fit a twin mattress in our closet).


10:10 - storm is gone, radar is clear, Monica begins to breathe normally and actually goes to bed.


THE END


P.S. Rylan asked me when the tornado sirens started going off if we were going to stop, drop, and roll. No son, that would be a fire.






12 comments:

Anonymous said...

You know, I've never been able to figure out why most houses in Tornado Alley do not have a basement, but basements are much more common in parts of the country that do not often see tornadoes.

But seriously, glad you're safe!! Sorry for the trauma you had yesterday.

Stachia said...

I wondered about you yesterday. Glad everything is ok, I love that Rylan asked if you stopped, dropped, and rolled.

TREY MORGAN said...

Mon,

Stop, drop and roll is good for any problem. Fire, tornados, spiders or dull sermons. You can never go wrong with the stop, drop and roll maneuver.

As for the tornados ... I'm on the other side of the fence ... I think they are fun. I don't like cleaning up after them, but they are exciting.

I wish I could have hung out with you yesterday.

Mommysmart said...

Lisa,
I couldn't agree more about the basement issue. I understand that our ground is not stable enough for permanent underground rooms. The closet is as good as gets around here. Crazy!

Stachia,
We survived, I know that you guys have had your fair share lately, too.

Trey,
ARE YOU CRAZY? That must be a man thing, because Rocky thinks it is fun, too. He was upset that I didn't stop and get him an ice cream cone on the way home.

TREY MORGAN said...

Rocky and I need to go "storm chasing." Woo Hoo

It is a man thing!

Maxine said...

Oh my goodness!
I was on the edge of my seat reading this post! I think something is headed our way (northeast) but I hope it's not that. I'm not sure where you are. We had floods last week and our church parking lot has to be redone. We lost air conditioners. Three years ago it happened and the whole downstairs had to be redone. Maybe God is trying to alert us all with weather and so many other things! Talk to you soon!

Monalea said...

For the longest time in my life I actually thought tornado's followed a person. Not sure where that concept came from. I was terrified most of my life and had lots of bad dreams. When I finally came to the realization that they are not living, breathing things I did so much better. Infact...when is that storm chase on? I might want to tag along. I'll bring the Krispy Kreams.

Neva said...

Monica
So glad you are breathing again!! How scary for you. I am grateful that I am not afraid of storms but I really dont want to go chase them either.
Peace and prayers,
Neva

Mommysmart said...

Trey,

Looks like you get to bring your sister along.

Maxine,

We are in TX and I hope that we didn't send any your way.

Monalea,

FUNNY! I can just see a tornado following along behind you. That's funny stuff! My son asked if tornados could hear us talking. Maybe he feels the way that you did. Hmm...

Neva,

I'm glad that you don't have my phobia, but I understand not wanting to join the chase either.

TREY MORGAN said...

Mon,

Did you get to hear Billy Wilson at church tonight?

Stacy said...

Wait a minute...I was part of that story! I was the NC based weather watcher :) Glad it's over. Hopefully, that's as exciting as it gets this spring for you guys!

Mommysmart said...

Trey,

Nope. I really wanted to hear him, but didn't get to go. I will have to listen online.

Stacy,

I am so sorry that I didn't put you in the story. You are right, I would have been a mess without you guiding me. You were like my little traveling computer. Of course, you were my therapist through it too!