Tornadoes in U.S.A

[LoveHistory]

My husband and I were very upset to learn when after buying our house that the crawlspace underneath isn't even big enough to crawl in. Last Sunday we went into our designated safe room. Designated as safe because it only has one window, which we cover with a spare mattress. We take in our medications, non-perishable food and water (also unopened bottles of juice), the kids favorite toys, a bible, first aid supplies, diapers and baby wipes, a few books, a cell phone and a battery operated radio. Depending on how much time there is we might grab a few more things like my netbook, the checkbook and pillows. Then we wait and pray.

We actually had an advantage last Sunday when our oldest was freaking out. I pointed out that his brothers are like human barometers and were completely calm, even trying to cheer him up. So the autism actually comes in handy sometimes.

The unpredictability of tornados is amazing. I read once about a baby who was found safely wrapped in her crib mattress a couple hundred yards from what was left of her home.

Our closest call was when a tornado went through the Warrens area a few years back (through Jellystone Park in fact). My Dad and husband were out in the barns and heard the tornado go past. I didn't hear it because my sons' screaming about being contained in a safe area was louder than the twister. Afterwards we could see the line of trees down in the woods. It was that close.

[BrianPK]

Thanks for your very interesting posts on tornadoes and after reading them I'm well pleased that we don't experience anything like that over here.I hope the weather calms down quickly for those of you caught up in such frightening incidents.

[TeralynPilgrim]

Yeah, the tornadoes were pretty awful. I'm in Mississippi and a great deal of destruction happened only an hour's drive away from my house. We had tornado sirens blaring off-and-on for days. The night it hit the worst in Alabama, the power went out in three cities all night long. Luckily, my husband and I had food in the house... if we didn't, we'd have to go without because there was nowhere to buy it.

Andrew and I live on the third story of an apartment building, which was scary because if someone saw a tornado, we'd only have enough time to run to the ground-level, if we were lucky.

It wasn't until the next day that I realized how bad it had been. It only touched down in our area in the forests, thank goodness, but it took out the forests and leveled quite a few houses.

I'm counting my blessings!