Post by giardiniere on May 25, 2011 9:43:23 GMT -5
I never want to go through, or see that again. Sunday seemed like any other weekend. Went to Home Depot and Lowes about noon, stopped at a garden center on the way home, and then worked in the yard while my wife went to the mall. I texted her about 3:30 when I noticed clouds starting to build and noticing on radar that storms were building to the west. I know how much she doesn't like storms, so I let her know. She got home about 5:00.
Not long after that, tornado sirens were being sounded, and we went into the basement. It's a walk-out basement, that also walks out into the garage. Our neighbor's wife and mother-in-law came over to join us, while he stayed at home listening to his police scanner. My wife and I were standing in our garage, when we looked to the north. That when we saw the tornado. I whistled to the neighbor, who was standing in his garage, and pointed to the north. He looked and motioned for us to take cover. He ran over to our house. His police scanner is a hand held model, and we could hear LEOs very frantically relaying information. We heard about the hospital sustaining damage, Walgreens, etc.
We had absolutely no damage.... not even a tree limb was broken. We decided to go check on some people that lived west of St. Johns Medical Center. All I can say is WOW! I'm sure most, if not all of you have seen pictures of that damage, but words and photos do not do this kind of destruction justice. A seven story hospital, which is slightly more than one mile north of my house, is just a shell. Thousands of homes were leveled. That same Home Depot is gone. Same with Walgreens, IHOP, Academy Sports, Walmart, Pizza Hut, Aldi's, Dillon's and too many other businesses to mention. Joplin High School was destroyed, along with Franklin Technology Center, and Irving Elementary. Two other schools were heavily damaged.
Like I say, I'm OK, but many other people are not. One of the guys that works for me, has lost his mother. She was on the way back home after going to the high school graduation. She didn't make it, as it appears she drove right into the tornado. right now, 125 people have died, and this morning they announced 750 are still unaccounted for. I'm sure most of them are just staying elsewhere, and have lost their phones, and can't be contacted, but I'm certain the death count will increase.
I have to work for now, but plan on volunteering this weekend wherever I'm needed.
Attached are some photos and a video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuU-nFuIZN4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hor6ocnKqlM
www.cbsnews.com/2300-201_162-10007861.html?tag=cbsnewsTwoColLowerPromoArea;galleryscroller
Not long after that, tornado sirens were being sounded, and we went into the basement. It's a walk-out basement, that also walks out into the garage. Our neighbor's wife and mother-in-law came over to join us, while he stayed at home listening to his police scanner. My wife and I were standing in our garage, when we looked to the north. That when we saw the tornado. I whistled to the neighbor, who was standing in his garage, and pointed to the north. He looked and motioned for us to take cover. He ran over to our house. His police scanner is a hand held model, and we could hear LEOs very frantically relaying information. We heard about the hospital sustaining damage, Walgreens, etc.
We had absolutely no damage.... not even a tree limb was broken. We decided to go check on some people that lived west of St. Johns Medical Center. All I can say is WOW! I'm sure most, if not all of you have seen pictures of that damage, but words and photos do not do this kind of destruction justice. A seven story hospital, which is slightly more than one mile north of my house, is just a shell. Thousands of homes were leveled. That same Home Depot is gone. Same with Walgreens, IHOP, Academy Sports, Walmart, Pizza Hut, Aldi's, Dillon's and too many other businesses to mention. Joplin High School was destroyed, along with Franklin Technology Center, and Irving Elementary. Two other schools were heavily damaged.
Like I say, I'm OK, but many other people are not. One of the guys that works for me, has lost his mother. She was on the way back home after going to the high school graduation. She didn't make it, as it appears she drove right into the tornado. right now, 125 people have died, and this morning they announced 750 are still unaccounted for. I'm sure most of them are just staying elsewhere, and have lost their phones, and can't be contacted, but I'm certain the death count will increase.
I have to work for now, but plan on volunteering this weekend wherever I'm needed.
Attached are some photos and a video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuU-nFuIZN4
www.youtube.com/watch?v=hor6ocnKqlM
www.cbsnews.com/2300-201_162-10007861.html?tag=cbsnewsTwoColLowerPromoArea;galleryscroller