Journal mcgrew's Journal: .Tornados hit Springfield again 4
Lucky for me, it wasn't my Springfield, but the Springfield in Massachusetts. Unlike when the tornados hit Springfield, IL, the ones in Massachusetts killed four people. The AP article's description sounds exactly like what I went through:
"I can see the plywood of roofs, and see houses where most of the house is gone," said Marrone, pastor of The First Church of Monson. "The road that runs up in front of my house
... There's so many trees down, it's completely impassable." Residents of 19 communities in central and western Massachusetts woke to widespread damage Thursday, a day after at least two late-afternoon tornadoes shocked emergency officials with their suddenness and violence and caused the state's first tornado-related deaths in 16 years.
One tornado was dramatically captured on a mounted video camera as it tore through Springfield, the state's third-largest city. At the MassMutual Center, a cavernous event facility where seniors from Wilbraham's Minnechaug Regional High School had gathered in gowns and tuxedos for prom, the tornado terrified photographers and students as it whirled outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"It looked like birds were flying out of the trees and it was rubble," said Martha Vachon, of Photography by Duval of Palmer. The prom went on as scheduled.
My oldest daughter, Leila, has always been terrified of storms. I never was -- until I was in a tornado. Well, I can't say "terrified", but I sure have a healthy respect. I'd never live in a building without a basement again.
At least it's not like Joplin. I can't imagine an F5, but I couldn't imagine a strong F2 until I saw what one could do first hand. The photos and movies can't do it anywhere near justice, and neither could the newspaper's descriptions or the journal I wrote about it.
Leila always calls to warn me when bad weather's coming. Before puberty she had a gift for forecasting the weather -- she could tell you within 20 minutes when it was going to rain. "It's gonna rain today, Dad."
"When?"
"Uh, I think about two." Sure enough it would always rain between ten til and ten after. It was uncanny, I never could figure out how she did it.
At any rate, man but we've had some shitty weather here in the US this year.
a gift for forecasting the weather (Score:1)
...on the first wrong answer from Miss Solitaire [007museum.com]...
They're scary alright (Score:2)
My friend and I were just talking about tornado's the other day and why doesn't everyone have a basement in their home. I grew up in So Cal and we had a basement (it was an old farm house), so why wouldn't those building homes in tornado ally build them in?
On another note, though I've never been in/around a tornado, my family outran Hurrican Gilbert while on vacation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Gilbert [wikipedia.org]
Now that is something I'll never forget! So I have some understanding and empathy for
Re: (Score:2)
I've been in both (link to the journal) [slashdot.org], and a category 1 hurricane with the eye passing right over you is just a light thunderstorm compared to an F2 tornado. I would imagine that the tornado I was in would be a light thunderstorm compared to an F5.
I doubt I'll ever forget either the hurricane or the tornado.