Friday, May 2, 2008

Warnings Are The Real Deal

We were under tornado warning this morning and were all required to head for the hills or the stairwell. Since my job requires me to be on the phone, sometimes getting off of it, even in time of emergency, is not that easy. I explained to my lovely customer that we have been requested to evacuate to a safe place due to local tornadoes in the area. My client simply asked if we could do one more renewal. Obviously some things are more important than you know people's lives. The new boss of course could not leave until I left. He was saying just hang up, I do not want to die here with you on the phone. I did get Ms. Inconsiderate customer off the phone and into the stairwell, just in time for the sirens to go off. It wasn't a big big deal and luckily the tornado hit 30 miles away and only caused minor damage. I'm sure this is only the beginning. Were used to it in these parts.

Standing in the stairway reminded me of May 3rd 1999. You may or may not recall this day when OK got hit with one of the largest tornadoes in US history. Gameboy was 1 month old. Lucky or not for me I'm married to a former storm chaser. He literally got paid to chase the crazy storms and report to the T.V. station. So you can only imagine where my hubs was that night. Yep out chasing. Where was I with our newborn son and dog? In the closet with the baby mattress over our head and water and baby formula at my side. GB sound asleep in my arms. Freaked out a little? Uhm yeah.

Lucky for us we didn't even lose power, but I had the T.V. blasting so I could hear where it was. Just a few short miles from my house is where one of many hit. When hubs finally got back, we jumped in the car with baby and dog in tow and went out to our family and friends to make sure they were ok.
I must say it was the most humbling experience I've ever seen in my life. The destruction was just unreal. Car lots with rows and rows of cars totally smashed. Homes destroyed, peoples lives shattered. Nothing was the same. No one injured or hurt from my family. My aunt's house was completely destroyed though.
It will be 9 years tomorrow, yet any time I hear the warning sirens go off I immediately go back in time and know that it could easily happen again.

4 comments:

Deb said...

Ooh, how scary. My ex-fiance was a storm chaser as well - I could never understand the thrill. I'm very thankful that Ron's a 'hide in the basement' kind of a guy. :)

Cassie said...

oh that is scary! I am so scared of tornadoes and storms in general. I could NOT have married a storm chaser, I would be worried out of my mind all of the time!

Unknown said...

I almost linked to a post about me being in the tub alot 2 years ago when I was preggo with G. Me and B, hunkering down! Gotta love living in tornado alley!

Thanks for linking up! : )

Leslie said...

wow, scary stuff. Some people can be so inconsiderate. She was rude. I think I would have hung up on her. And a storm chaser? No way, I would worry myself to death with that one!

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