It’s 1am and I can’t sleep. Why? We are right in line for our second round of severe weather tonight. Round one was kind of fun. The two older kids were still awake, and they came downstairs panicked at the Tornado Warning that was flashing on their tv. It turned out to be for a different county, but then one was issued for our county a few minutes later. But it soon became clear that our town would be spared – a few very soft claps of thunder, and we were done. The tornado sirens blared, so we dutifully went to the basement, but before we could even get everyone down there, the sirens were off. So right before bed, I checked the radar again, and round two is headed straight for us. I’ve had the news on while laying in bed, and after all of the very serious reports of damage and that which is yet to come, I gave up on sleep. My husband and I came downstairs to watch the radar on the news and… wait.
I’ve got a comforter and some bottled water and snacks waiting by the basement door; it looks really bad. I hope I’m over-reacting, but better safe than sorry, I guess – and it’s 1:30 in the morning so it’s easy to panic; I’m tired. Plus, preparing for disaster keeps my mind of the feeling of impending doom from outside. The county just north of us has a Tornado Warning. It feels like a pressure cooker outside – the humidity is stifling, and the wind is picking up. So far they’re saying on the news that tornadic activity is heading straight for our town, but weather is very unpredictable. But even if we don’t get a tornado, they said to expect winds 80-90 mph. Did I mention we invested in an inflatable pool for the kids yesterday? 😉
I’m praying for the safety of our family and friends who are spread all over this county and the next one over. I’m praying for our old house and for all of the tall trees around it. There are reports of heavy damage (possible tornado) in the county to the east, and we have many friends who live there – praying for everyone.
Well, this thing appears to be in our county now, and no tornado warning for us. The wind is howling, so I better go before I lose power – I have flashlights and battery radios, think we’re well prepared… just difficult to decide at what point it’s safer to panic the kids by waking them and taking them into the basement… always a tough decision. I’ve lived in the midwest all my life, but this is so much harder when you’re the parent and the one who has to make the calls.
Stay safe everyone… I will leave an update on this post tomorrow, but so far, it looks good for us – the storm turned due east at the last minute…
*UPDATE* – Yes, the storm turned away from us at the last minute – a miracle. So other than being extremely tired, we are unscathed. Some friends I saw at church today are ok too, so I’ll have to do some digging about the rest of the area, but I think everyone is ok! Time to catch up on that sleep…
6:30AM… I’m still here. Our town (no pun intended) seems to be in one piece. Sorry about the lack of sleep. Hopefully, things calm down today. Be safe and keep your brood safe. Love you guys.
We got a brief downpour this morning that lasted minutes, but went back to a sunny day shortly after. I did just hear some thunder though (yes, it’s still sunny!)
Actually, I meant shortly after noon.
I was keeping close tabs on Edgerton, Bryan, and…well, all of Williams County last night! I’m glad to hear all of my friends are well. I haven’t heard anything from Justj yet, so hopefully he is well. A funnel cloud was spotted in the Evansport area, but it didn’t touch ground. Unfortunately that same storm cell is the one that caused the tornados in Fulton County and devastated the town of Millbury in Lucas/Wood County. It was a scary night at first. I tend to worry….not about me, because I love storms, but I worry for my friends and loved ones. We were extremely busy. Amazing how many people, after all the public notices and education we provide, still have no idea what that siren is for. And if they know what the siren means, all common sense leaves their system and have no idea what to do. So they call…..and they call…..and they call….I think people don’t think about it because it has been so long since it has happened here, they don’t believe it will ever happen. Not being prepared is the worst thing. I’m glad that you were and I’m glad you are all safe! 🙂
AWWW… thanks, Mare. I think we were relatively luck here in E-town. No sirens, lightening, wind, but nothing major. Scary radar but all is well. And I agree, storms really do bring out the worst in people. Forget about full moons
So far everyone I know is OK. I’ve heard of some house damage, but not much. No big trees down around here.