Over the last several years I have thought that I lived a rather ho hum life. I work at home and get out of the house to do the basic everyday errands with a few little surprises thrown in for good measure. Although over the past almost six years I have made many a trip to hospitals, doctor appointments and other such trips with my mother-in-law these trips are usually pretty routine.
With the recent tornado activities all over the Midwest it makes you think a little bit more; what will I do and how will I react if when comes close? The Joplin tornado was such a horrendous one, words can not describe the pictures and stories that those poor people have been through. With the St. Johns Hospital taking a direct hit it would have been a usual first place to probably take cover for people.
I have to admit I usually take tornado warnings with a grain of salt. My first thought usually is: What would the chances be that an actual tornado would touch down in my area?
Wednesday, March 25 at 12:25 p.m. I got my answer. Although I didn't have any direct damage. I know several people who were hit extremely hard. An F2 can still do alot of damage.
My west coast friends took for granted that everyone has a basement. As I told one friend, I don't have one and where I was the basement wasn't the best place to be. Actually we had just returned to my mother-in-laws from the hospital and were home only ten minutes when we had our first warning. We actually had to drive half way across town to another family members basement something I probably wouldn't have done if I were by myself but since I had three elderly people to worry about, safer was getting them someplace else. I was amazed at my 5 '2 body could maneuver two men and a woman from a car, in the driving rain and wind to the safety of a dry basement. But I did!
This was my second close call in the 15 years I have lived here. My one friend who has lived here all her life has been through 3 tornadoes all of which she has had significant damage either to houses and/or businesses. This one hit extremely hard for her at a time when she was contemplating retirement in the near future. I know she will make the best choice for her. Personally, my choice would be to find a place to live where there is no tornadoes, no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no adverse weather of any kind but as I have been told time and time again--there is no such place. For now I guess I will make do where I am and consider myself lucky again and also consider my life not as boring as I thought, there is an adventure around the corner every day.
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