We survived a tornado coming from the unusual path (from East to Southwest - usually tornadoes come from West to East).Wednesday, as ususal, I teach the summer course 5-9:30PM. By 7:00PM the fire alarm started to blast in our ears. I thought first that it is just a drill since at 5Pm when we got in our class, in the basement of Founders Hall, it was 100F outside and rain was predicted only to Friday night a 10% chance of possible rain...
It seems the tornado did not watch the same TV channel...
We were in the right place, in the basement, so we even could not go out to see what is going on. I could look on the door and it was very dark, very windy, and loud.
The alarm stopped by 8:30PM and classes continued ... my students convinced me to continue next class.
By the time I got home to see what is going on I was really concerned that I might not have a house. We lost power, luckily I had flash lights. In my back yard I had only a couple of big branches from the cottonwood tree I have in the backyard. The swing, chair, Taylor's toys, all crumbled in the fence along with branches. A big pile of mess that I cleaned pretty easily.
Thursday was really hot and humid. Daytime up to 101F. In the evening when I came out of classes, and exit the building my glasses got foggy, like in the winter when one enters the house, or when entering a bathroom. It was haze, so humid I could see the steam. We did not have power till this morning at 6AM. We tried out the basement of our house as bedroom. In the house last evening 10PM were 84F. So, I made a bed for us downstairs. Taylor did not want first to stay there, she run out and run in the bed, but realized it is very hot, and dark, and I do not go up. Finally she just cuddled in my arms and we slept till 5:30AM this morning.
When I looked outside I thought it is fog... it was haze. Very humid, very warm.
Another strom passed by around 11AM, but not dangerous, just a little wind and two drops of rain. One more rain very short around 7PM. Now is calm. It is supposed to cool down over the weekend.
My neighbor's property was covered with branches from the trees. His trees were badly damaged. In the neighborhood yesterday and today people were cleaning up after the tornado. Many trees were damaged, broken like tooth picks.
The news presents 472,000 people without power. We are lucky to have a basement to our house. Now we have electricity. Midwest besides being so hot and humid in summer, it is also pretty scary.
We are safe and sound, and do not have damage. Thank God!
