I live just about 5 miles north from where the Plainfield tornado hit in 1990. In fact, one of my daughter's was in grade school and just as the kids were to be let out of school it became very dark pea green and there was no doubt in my mind that a tornado could hit the area (you get to know the signs) so instead of allowing her to walk home I drove to the school (after dropping my infant son and 7th grade daughter off at my neighbors house to stay in her basement with her). Lucky for the kids in the school, the principal had the good sense not to release the kids from school to let them walk home unless a parent picked them up. He kept calling the local fire department to see if there was a warning issued but they said there wasn't. He kept the students in the LMC area and hallways that were all inside walls, just to be on the safe side...a gut feeling. I grabbed my daughter and booked it back to my neighbor's house and we heard on the radio that a tornado had just hit Plainfield. That was an F5, and I'll never forget the way the air felt before it hit, it was heavy and spooky feeling--felt like the sky was about to fall on you.
I also grew up right near Oak Lawn, where another deadly tornado hit, which was designated an F4. That was in 1967 and I happened to be off school that day. That one hit in the afternoon after 3:30 and we could actually see it on the ground from our backyard, it was only three miles away.
Now that I think about it, I'm beginning to feel like a tornado magnet. :-)
Two decades ago, my family lived in Baton Rouge. We were eating breakfast early in the morning when the sky turned an eerie shade of pea green.
My mother -- being from the Midwest and very familiar with tornadoes -- immediately grabbed us kids and told my dad that there was going to be a tornado. She grabbed the radio, and we all sat in the closet for a while. I'm sure my dad probably thought she was nuts, until he heard that there was in fact an F2 tornado that morning in Baton Rouge. (It wasn't exactly in our neighborhood, but give my mom credit for recognizing the signs of a coming tornado...)
I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I am young, but i won't reveal my age. :P Anyways, four years ago, my mom, my sis, me, my mom's friend and my mom's friend's two kids went to the Carnegie science center. We went into the submarine, and it was softly raining. When we came out, it was POURING. The three other kids were dancing in it and laughing, but i had a sick feeling in my gut. I stayed close to mom, and that's when she said to get in the car. We ran, but i glance back and saw a huge funnel cloud over the river. I will never forget that day, and as we ran inside after that, soaking wet, everyone looked at us as though we were all crazy.
I live just about 5 miles north from where the Plainfield tornado hit in 1990. In fact, one of my daughter's was in grade school and just as the kids were to be let out of school it became very dark pea green and there was no doubt in my mind that a tornado could hit the area (you get to know the signs) so instead of allowing her to walk home I drove to the school (after dropping my infant son and 7th grade daughter off at my neighbors house to stay in her basement with her). Lucky for the kids in the school, the principal had the good sense not to release the kids from school to let them walk home unless a parent picked them up. He kept calling the local fire department to see if there was a warning issued but they said there wasn't. He kept the students in the LMC area and hallways that were all inside walls, just to be on the safe side...a gut feeling. I grabbed my daughter and booked it back to my neighbor's house and we heard on the radio that a tornado had just hit Plainfield. That was an F5, and I'll never forget the way the air felt before it hit, it was heavy and spooky feeling--felt like the sky was about to fall on you.
ReplyDeleteI also grew up right near Oak Lawn, where another deadly tornado hit, which was designated an F4. That was in 1967 and I happened to be off school that day. That one hit in the afternoon after 3:30 and we could actually see it on the ground from our backyard, it was only three miles away.
Now that I think about it, I'm beginning to feel like a tornado magnet. :-)
WOW!! What a story
ReplyDeleteI live in he lcoal version of Tornado ally .I ahve two come close to my house but I slept throught them. Thye say it sounds like a freight train.
I would lke to see one bit from safe distance
Two decades ago, my family lived in Baton Rouge. We were eating breakfast early in the morning when the sky turned an eerie shade of pea green.
ReplyDeleteMy mother -- being from the Midwest and very familiar with tornadoes -- immediately grabbed us kids and told my dad that there was going to be a tornado. She grabbed the radio, and we all sat in the closet for a while. I'm sure my dad probably thought she was nuts, until he heard that there was in fact an F2 tornado that morning in Baton Rouge. (It wasn't exactly in our neighborhood, but give my mom credit for recognizing the signs of a coming tornado...)
I live in Pittsburgh, PA. I am young, but i won't reveal my age. :P Anyways, four years ago, my mom, my sis, me, my mom's friend and my mom's friend's two kids went to the Carnegie science center. We went into the submarine, and it was softly raining. When we came out, it was POURING. The three other kids were dancing in it and laughing, but i had a sick feeling in my gut. I stayed close to mom, and that's when she said to get in the car. We ran, but i glance back and saw a huge funnel cloud over the river. I will never forget that day, and as we ran inside after that, soaking wet, everyone looked at us as though we were all crazy.
ReplyDelete