It's been a rough week! My heart goes out to all the victims of the recent chain of tornadoes. There were 2 twisters here the night of Wed. 4/27, one right after the other. The 1st one smacked a community just SW of here. The 2nd less than a half hour later hit my area.
We were so lucky back here! The house at the end of the road is gone. That's less than 1/2 mile away! The destruction actually began about 1/4 mile down the road and blocked the road with downed trees. The forest comes right up to the narrow road all the way up. I heard and felt the blast when it went by, and I dreaded daylight showing me the damage. Was so surprised there was none. At least not to anything that mattered.
The power went out a good hour before it hit so we didn't know what was happening. Early the following morning, patrolmen came back here on motorcycles to see if we were ok. They had to come in through the fields behind me. Said the road was completely blocked (it's a dead end) and asked if we needed anything. Said there wasn't a power pole standing down there so it could be a while before we had power. Other than electric, I had what I needed. I have public water and there was plenty of food for me and the animals. My neighbors were self-sufficient as well.
I'm thanking the forest for sparing us back here. The path was over open ground and just swiped the forest edge when it went by. They worked fast and had the road open for us by late afternoon. I went out the next day to get some things and see what it looked like. I have never been this close to so much destruction! After the smashed house on the end, it just got worse. Red Cross came back here several times to see if we needed anything and to inform us where we could go for help if we needed it. My road is even narrower right now as there isn't much room for the downed wood.
My friend's sturdy brick house is destroyed. He's about a mile away as the crow flies. I finally hooked up with him later that day and was so relieved he's ok. He was definitely shell-shocked. He said they were in the basement at the 1st warning, and came up when they thought it was clear. That's when the 2nd twister hit, so it's amazing they weren't hurt. Buildings all around him were smashed as well. I heard at least one of the reported deaths was in his area.
On the way home, the people who lived in the place at the end of my road were there so I stopped to talk and see if they needed anything. They were thrown out of their beds over 300 yards and amazingly, only suffered bruises. Debris from their house went a lot farther. Oddly, a little single-wide and small barn just behind them on the property were still standing, although they had a lot of damage. The next place down is another single-wide and it was barely touched. In fact, debris from the house caused the most damage in broken windows. An old single-wide had been abandoned at the back of that property and it was rolled over against the woods behind it.
Tornadoes are strange that way. It wasn't until coming home that I noticed the tin roof on the little pump house is gone. It's a lot lower than the house and other outbuildings and somewhat sheltered by trees. I would have thought if anything the tall old shed near the house would have lost its tin roof but it didn't. It already had some wind damage from the "normal" high winds I get back here, but nothing much from this storm. We thought we were fairly safe close to the mountains. Tornadoes are very rare here. Goes to show, no one is ever completely safe from nature's wrath.
I went to a FEMA meeting in the other community yesterday. They were very well organized with command centers set up in both areas. They had tons of donations and told everyone to take what they need. The destruction was just as bad there, and I think more people died. Senators and other officials are on hand, and I heard that one of the helicopters that flew over the area several times might be President Obama. He was supposed to have been in GA/AL for the disasters earlier this week down there, and might have flown over here as well.
Patrol cars are stationed at the in-roads to the areas to control lookyloos and looters. Yeah, there was already that going on. Sometimes, I really don't like the human race.
The little Netbook got a lot of use. I had internet. I had to conserve the charge, but I was able to check in. One of the things I went out for that 1st day was a special device so I could charge it off the car.
We got power back here Saturday afternoon. I really didn't expect it so soon. Was told that since there was no line damage back here, they started here. I guess it's practical to take care of the easiest issues first and work out to the worst. Was without for 3 nights and part of the day. I did a lot of reading by booklight! The power went off for a bit later that evening. I assume so they could work on connecting lines.
In fact, it just went out again while writing this! Thank you, Blogger, for saving it! I expect this will go on for a while so I better shut down the puter for now.
tnt
