Tornadoes

For those of you who don't live in the midwest or southern part of the country, or for those of you who don't EVER watch the news, it's tornado season. I used to be a big fan of tornado season. I grew up in Iowa, so this meant Springs filled with thunderstorms, crazy weather, and the odd feeling in the air when a tornado is possible. I even went so far as to declare I missed tornado season when I didn't live in Iowa.

Apparently tornado season is different in Oklahoma.

A few weeks ago my sister-in-law Jordan was visiting from Washington with her two youngest kids, Benjamin (3 1/2) and Hannah (16 months). We had seen the forecast and knew that tornadoes were likely the weekend they were here.

Here's what happened on Friday, April 13:

Adele is sleeping in her crib, Henry is asleep in the swing by the window, and Hannah and Benjamin are playing with the kitchen set right next to the swing. All is calm outside, though the radar shows that the storm is about to hit. Norman, OK is under a tornado watch.

Me: We should be watching the news, just in case the watch turns into a warning.
Jordan: Should we be worried about a tornado? (Jordan didn't grow up around tornadoes)
Me: Nah, a watch doesn't mean much. If it looks like tornadoes will be in our area, we'll have plenty of notification and we will be in a safe location long before the sirens go off.

A short while later, I go to change Henry and on my way back into the family room, the storm hits like a forceful wall of rain, wind, and hail. 

Jordan: (Eyes huge) Are you seeing this??
Me: (Eyes equally huge) Wow this is a crazy storm!

Seconds later we both look out the window as lightning hits the power line and sparks fly. The darkness from outside invades the inside, as the power goes out. Jordan and I look in shock as the swingset gets flipped on its side and we watch as the tops of the trees in the backyard seem to be eerily swirling. 


During these exact few minutes, I started receiving texts from friends up in Oklahoma City. 

Text 1: Hope you guys are in shelter!
Text 2: You guys better be somewhere safe! (I start to get extremely nervous.)
Text 3: Tornado headed to OU! (Panic sets in.)

Me: Jordan get the kids and go to the tub in the bathroom!! I'm heading across the street to find our storm shelter!
Jordan: I'm calling you so we can be in touch by cell phones.

I quickly wake Adele up and put her in the bathroom with the others, and run across the flooded street to our neighbor Jim's.

Me: (banging on Jim's door) Jim! Where is your shelter?!? (Jim had told us we could use his shelter but I didn't know exactly where it was. Naturally, Jim wasn't home.)

Jordan and I get cut off, her being stuck in the bathroom with 4 kids, not knowing what was going on. I run to the next neighbor's house, who also has a storm shelter inside. They aren't home either. At that point, a truck pulls up into Jim's house and a man and a woman get out.

Woman: Come on over, we know where the shelter is!
Me: I've got kids at home, I'll be right back!

I run back across the street. Jordan is relieved to see me.

Me: Jordan we're going!

Jordan grabs a diaper bag and we somehow manage to carry all 4 kids across the street, pause to see the trees down at the end of the street, and get ourselves down into the small storm shelter. We keep everyone calm with fruit snacks and suckers as the woman tells us the tornado hardly gave any warning (duh) and was hopscotching across Norman. 


Five minutes later, the sirens finally go off. 


Epilogue: David returned home from school to a sister and wife who were on the verge of being hysterical. We tracked the path of the tornado and realized it passed through our neighborhood and truly clipped our backyard...while we were watching it.

David went and bought a storm radio that evening.

Our power ended up staying off the entire weekend until Sunday afternoon. I now start having panic attacks every time a "severe storm" alert comes up for Oklahoma (only slight exaggeration).

Best part of the day: if you recall, Adele has been thinking it is her birthday practically every day. So when we went down to the shelter and the woman with us lit a candle, Adele excitedly said "hey it's my birthday party!" Nothing like kids to put a fun spin on an otherwise frightful situation.

Our swingset after the storm.

 Our brave tornado survivors.