We are all OK in OK!

In case you saw the news about the 6 different tornadoes that touched down in Okla yesterday and wondered about us...

we are just fine! No damage to our home either.

I will add that we were given a heads up about the possibility of a tornado outbreak the day before. So we knew it was possible. I made sure we all had shoes on at 4pm. I felt like I was racing against the clock to make dinner and clean up and get the kids to pee one last time before it was our turn to take cover. I knew we still had about 45 min before the tornado would get to us (if it lasted that long). But when that siren went off, we calmly exited the house and promptly shuttled our kids and the three kids next door underground.

We spent a good bit of time yesterday evening in our storm shelter. Sitting. Perspiring. Listening. Waiting.

We have been sent to the shelter before, but never when an actual tornado was heading right for us! In the past it has been because we were experiencing a storm that looked like it could become tornadic at any moment, meaning it was lowering and rotating but still not on the ground.

We sat with a weather radio tuned into our favorite TV station and listened to the meteorologist pinpoint the tornado's location in between the blaring sirens and the national weather service announcements. We, and our neighbors, sat in our shelter and waited as we heard the words that the tornado was headed our way. We got the hail. We got some very strong sweeping wind. Watched a few pieces of debris fly by. Lots of rain. We waited for the "freight train" but it never did come. Thank God!

I saw some storm pictures today taken one block from here. It showed the tornado falling apart, lifting up, and quitting.

Picture from koco.com by yankee214.
Moore , 149th and Western - 19th st Moore, OK, KOCO's u local Photo - u local, Your Oklahoma Photos & Videos


Picture from koco.com by ulocal_mobile.
SW 149th & Western 5/24/2011 - KOCO's u local Photo - u local, Your Oklahoma Photos & Videos

In my opinion, we had plenty of warning and time to prepare for the possibility of a tornado yesterday. Considering the size and strengths of the many tornadoes our state had, it is a miracle more people aren't dead. (Last time I saw, 8 people were confirmed dead.) But these tornadoes destroyed everything in their paths. They were incredibly strong and violent and far-reaching. One tracked on the ground for 70 miles! The number of survivors is truly a testament to our excellent warning systems and meteorologists we have.

What will be hard to see is Joplin, MO when we drive through that area next month.

--Kate