Twister...

I (along with so many others) survived this yesterday! It's the closest I have ever been to a tornado. I was at Newks eating lunch with Moo, Web, Chris, Lily, and Donnie. I had not even seen the news and it really looked like a nice day. It started to sprinkle when I got to Newks and placed my order and by the time we all sat down it started getting pretty stormy. The manager started to get his employees in the back of the kitchen and the customers in the bathroom at the back of the restaurant and there we stood in the bathroom and waited.

There have been a few times I have had to do this (not in public). I love storms and they do not scare me unless they are extremely severe, but since moving to Middle Tennessee I have spent more than one storm hunkered in my bathroom because the weather was that bad and funnel clouds were around. As scary as these previous experiences with large hail and close calls have been, I have always emerged to minimal damage. I never would have imagined that this time would be different, but it was. As we emerged from the bathroom, cell phone calls and reception were impossible. Power was out. We turned on a radio and heard the first reports come in of flattened homes, overturned cars, and multiple tornadoes.

After the sky cleared we packed up and left. It took me 2 hours to travel the normally 5 minute trip home. It was like driving through a movie. More emergency vehicles than I have ever seen... people running to and from vehicles to help, concrete power poles snapped in half, huge trees splintered and pulled up roots and all. All of this just across the street from where we were having lunch... demolished.

Overturned cars and trucks on the interstate.

House on the street that is across the street from my subdivision.

More damage... so close to my house and so close to where we were all having lunch.

More damage.

I am so thankful that everyone I know is okay. My privacy fence blew down and my patio furniture was tossed around... that was it. Several people in my subdivision have similar damage and tress down, but nothing major. I know of at least one colleague that lost her home and another who has significant damage. Pray for those without homes this morning and for the rebuilding process. We have more severe storms coming tomorrow, but for today I am thankful for a dry day for the recovery process to begin.