Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Tornados!!!!!

If you remember back a few months ago, I described my fear of tornados after a night of blaring sirens and raging storms. I am always on high alert whenever thunderstorms rumble through our area, checking forecasts and the skies for the possibility of twisters. I pride myself on knowing what to look for and what to do if I was ever in a warning area. Tonight I missed everything.

It rained most of the day today. The weather was really quite unremarkable. Local weathermen predicted a possibility of mild storms. I was lulled into a false sense of security. Close to 7:15 tonight, I thought I heard the sirens. It wasn't blaring like the last time, but more a quiet hum faintly broadcast over the baby monitor. I hadn't heard any thunder, and the rain was calm with little wind. I dismissed it as an ambulance. Last time, I could hear the sirens over everything, so this couldn't be the sirens.

I continued to watch Sesame Street with Aveline, popping up briefly to prepare her supper. While in the kitchen, I thought I heard the sirens again. I looked out the windows. It was calm. The last time the sirens blared, there wasn't even a tornado warning. The city had sounded them to signal a severe thunderstorm. We hadn't heard the sirens since, and we had experienced numerous occasions of bad weather. I decided I would check on the computer. The Weather Channel's site showed no warnings or alerts for Middletown, so I scooped up Aveline and continued with our nightly routine.

It wasn't until nearly 9:30 PM when my sister-in-law called to make sure we were alright that I found out a tornado had touched down IN MIDDLETOWN! My heart started to race. How could I have been so careless? My nemesis was in my area and I did nothing. I had shrugged it off. I spent the next hour or so combing the internet and flipping local news channels to find out how closely I had escaped death. Somewhat to my relief, I found out that the tornado that landed in the area was brief and weak. Only a few rooftops and trees were effected.

I still am beside myself knowing I let my guard down. Sure, all of the weathermen are flabbergasted by the suddenness of the tornadic development. Sure, it wasn't a huge or deadly twister. Sure it briefly touched down nearly 5 miles north west of our home. All the same, I missed it. I did not protect my family. It bothers me to know that I dismissed the threat, that I was duped by the fiendish funnel. I will sleep very lightly tonight, punishing myself with hyper vigilance.

3 comments:

Christina said...

Wasn't it crazy last night? They said Wilmington got hit by at least two, possibly three tornados, and the Dayton Mall had part of their roof ripped off. Luckily, by the time the storms made it to Columbus, they had weakened to just heavy rain.

Glad you're all safe!

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear you are alright.

Anonymous said...

Just heard about the tornados today when we met Kelly for lunch in Lima to pick up Joel for a couple of days and to celebrate Heather's Birthday! We are sooo glad nothing hit your home! You have angels watching over you and had you known--you might have been terrified--so it all worked out okay. Isn't you I have heard say, "Things have a way of working out for the best--in time...?" Whew! I know I would probably feel the same way you did, though, had it been me!!! WE love you!!!!