I was at work, dealing with the nasty storms in NC today and my phone rang. Not a number that was programmed in it. I answered and couldn't hear who was trying to talk. Finally realized it was my 9 year old. Over an hour north from where I was working.

They were huddled up in the basement of their grandmother's home, while a tornado raged overhead. My son said that he could hear the freight train sound, his grandmother told me they were covered up and in the basement.

The tornado jumped over their house, causing minimal damage. It completely destroyed a house 4 down from it, injuring the residents and killing their 2 dogs, and several other homes were severely damaged, at least 5 in the area with people trapped inside.

Their elementary school was about 3 miles away and it was severely damaged. The gym was nearly destroyed, cars flipped over, etc.

Shitty feeling...but I knew that they would most likely be safe in that basement. Thankfully my ex-wife was able to get there quickly. I listened to the fire/rescue channel on a scanner app (I used to be fire/rescue/medic in that county) and it was insane.

Kids are ok...my 6 yo daughter was very shaken up emotionally though. School is cancelled, so we will get them tomorrow night and talk about everything. Honestly, they were in the safest possible place of all our houses to pick for a tornado.

I know some of you guys deal with these frequently, but this is not a common thing around here. I have dealt with a few tornadoes, narrowly dodged a really bad one a decade ago, and have done rescue work after some, but I've never personally been through any.


Video of the actual tornado:

http://www.wjcl.com/article/incredible-tornado-footage-out-of-north-carolina-1495669230/9926533
Area damage:

http://www.wxii12.com/article/severe-weather-moves-through-triad/9924987

Glad your family is alright. When I was your daughter's age I lived in Iowa and was terrified of tornadoes (tornados?). Having two boys the same age as your kid my heart goes out to you! You and they are in my prayers (and all those affected)!!

holy shit man..
glad everyone came through ok

Good thoughts for you and yours.

When I moved south the weather freaked me right the hell out and still does. Where I grew up weather meant you dressed differently not that I needed to bunker up.

When I had my daughter my storm pucker factor went through the roof.

I am glad you and yours are safe and sound.

As an aside I don't know how you guys belt up and go on duty in this shit. Forget the day to day, forget the dirtbags, hell even the bad dudes at least you can shoot back. It's going out and helping the public in stuff like this that boggles my mind. Thanks for that.

Chris

Glad everyone is okay.

Closest I've been to a tornado was several miles away. And it was one of the lower graded ones just tearing up a field. That was quite enough thank you. Been in earthquakes (Loma Prieta) and hurricanes too. All are scary as hell if you're in their bullseye.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
Glad everyone is okay.

Closest I've been to a tornado was several miles away. And it was one of the lower graded ones just tearing up a field. That was quite enough thank you. Been in earthquakes (Loma Prieta) and hurricanes too. All are scary as hell if you're in their bullseye.

I've been in many hurricanes. Couple of Cat 4s. I'll take them any day over a tornado (though they can spawn their own).

In 2006 late one November night I was doing an emergency ambulance transport for a very sick kid from a hospital at the beach to the hospital at ECU in Greenville, NC. A 3ish hour trip on a good day. It was a rare situation, unique even; the kid should have been flown, but the weather was bad, and he needed to be there ASAP. I drove because I had more experience behind the wheel than my partner. We had volunteered because the storms were so bad and they didn't want to force anyone into it.

We drove through what to this day was unquestionably the worst storm I've ever gone through, in a freaking ambulance, three times because of the way our route went and the way the storm was blowing. I honestly did not think we were going to make it.

When we got to the other hospital we found out that the storms had spawned tornadoes, destroying a community near the area we initially left, killing 8. That was the closest I personally came.

Look on the bright side, maybe the graduation will be cancelled

Glad they are ok.

Talk to them.

Prayers sent for the community and those that lost their homes.

I know the feeling. We just bought a new house and it had to have a basement after past experiences. We had one pass over our home and touchdown a few blocks away. Our emergency alerts on our iPhones went off twice within a few minutes and I was watching and listening to our local ham repeater. We had been in the basement a minute or two before it passed over. My parents we in one 6 or so years ago and my brother and I drove into the middle of one in Adairsville GA just as it crossed I-75. I'm glad your young ones are ok. It's a pretty helpless feeling.

Thankfully the children are not hurt and are safe!

Glad everyone is ok. Growing up in tornado country, I remember kids, not able to know any better, only getting really scared when they could sense that the adults were scared. That's likely what you will find when you talk to them.

You likely experienced more trauma than them, a parent listening helplessly from a distance.

quote:

Originally posted by 83v45magna:
Glad everyone is ok. Growing up in tornado country, I remember kids, not able to know any better, only getting really scared when they could sense that the adults were scared. That's likely what you will find when you talk to them.

You likely experienced more trauma than them, a parent listening helplessly from a distance.

While they were in the best structure in the family for a tornado, they were with the least emotionally prepared person when it comes to an emergency...so you're exactly right. My 6yo got so terrified she had an 'accident' during it. Breaks my heart.

Glad everyone is safe. I grew up in Wisconsin and saw the devastation tornados can cause.

Be safe.

Mike

quote:

I've been in many hurricanes. Couple of Cat 4s. I'll take them any day over a tornado

Well said.

A hurricane is a known entity. You can see the cloud formation at sea, from an aerial photo, get radar verification of wind speeds, probable tracks, etc. You know days before that it's coming, where it will likely make land-fall, and how bad the wind, surge, and swell will be.

A tornado can appear as a typical thunderstorm an then suddenly convert itself into a finger of destruction that can hop around here and there, disappear and then reappear, and just randomly break shit and kill people.

Glad your loved ones are okay.

TOO SCARY! Glad your family is OK.

quote:

Originally posted by chongosuerte:


... My 6yo got so terrified she had an 'accident' during it. Breaks my heart.

Not being flippant at all: tell her she's the only one around man enough to admit it, because she's guaranteed not the only one to do it.

quote:

Originally posted by creslin:
holy shit man..
glad everyone came through ok

Yes!

Glad they are safe. I was at a work function in south Charlotte and all we saw was some rain.

Very happy your kids (family) came through this without issues. On another positive note, I bet they'll love telling that story over and over again to friends and family.

All's well that ends well. Glad that no one was hurt.