Tuesday, March 1, 2011

A (Not So) Normal Day

Yesterday began just like every other day.  Work with a Diet SunDrop to help get my brain running.  After checking in on Facebook, I saw that there were weather concerns for my hometown - Tullahoma, TN.  I sent a short message to some hometown peeps to stay safe and went on with my day.

After lunch, I again checked in on Facebook.  I saw some reports of wind damage in North Franklin County.  That peaked my interest as that is where our property with Vol Fan's garage is located.  Then the reports went from wind damage to possible tornado.  And I started hearing reports from friends about where the damage was located.  My first thought was "Wow, that is pretty close to our property."

Then the reports went from possible tornado to definitely a tornado.  And with more reports coming in as to the location of the damage, my thoughts went to "HOLY CRAP!  THAT IS REALLY, REALLY CLOSE TO OUR PROPERTY!"

I called my Dad and asked if they were safe.  And yes, they were fine.  The tornado had swung a little south of town toward Franklin County and Estill Springs.  I told him that southward swing was exactly the reason for my call.  The chatter that I was gathering from facebook was filling me with the awful thought that maybe our property had sustained some damage. 

So off he went to check things out.  About an hour later, he called back to say that the road were blocked and he could not get anywhere near our property.  But he would try again later, hoping that road crews could clear things up a bit.

And I kept hearing of more and more damage from oh-so-close to our property.

Around 3pm (west coast time), we got a call from a friend that had been in the area and was saying that there was some extreme damage near our property but he had been unable to get close enough to see how we had fared.  So our thoughts were swirling.  How bad was the damage?  Was the building even standing?

And then I heard something that put all of my worry into perspective.  An elderly man had lost his life in the storm.

My outlook changed completely.  Even if it was gone, it was just stuff.  Everyone that I loved was safe.  And that is all that matters.


[Footnote:  A drive of about 10 miles roundtrip took my Dad about 2.5 hours yesterday but he finally made it to our property.  It was dark but as far as he could tell, we had no damage.  Combining the things that he told me and the things I have learned from others, the tornado passed within a 1/4 mile of our property.  We were very lucky.]

[Footnote #2:  You may have seen reports on The Weather Channel, Today, or Good Morning America.  They are all broadcasting from about a 1/2 mile from my little piece of earth.]

4 comments:

Busy Bee Suz said...

I am so sad to hear there was loss of life. Bless his heart.
Glad your place is safe...you just never know what Mother Nature can stir up!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Fox News reported the damage in Franklin County and told about the man's death.. How sad, Woody...

Glad your property is okay though.. That was a wicked storm....Scary!
Hugs,
Betsy

Mental P Mama said...

So sad for the family who lost their loved one. Tornadoes scare me more than anything. Now, wait. You have a job????

Desert Survivor said...

How scary. Those tornadoes are so powerful and unpredictable.