Darn tornadoes!!
 

I'm at a hotel right now.

We had a BIG STORM around 5pm (CST) tonight, and my neighborhood is totally out of power.

My wonderful, beautiful ash tree that we'd been babying for the past 6 years is gone. :mad::eek::mad::mad::mad:

I dont know if we have a lot of damage to our house yet, cant exactly get up to the roof to look.

I decided to take my mom to a hotel with me. No A/C at home, and I am NOT staying in an un-airconditioned house. My mom doesnt react to stress well, so I decided to bite the bullet and share a room with her. (I really hope I dont regret that decision! we dont always get along)

All the powerlines in the neighborhood next to mine are above ground. Our powerlines in my neighborhood are buried, but when the powerlines in the next neighborhood over went down, so did our power...and internet...and tv...and phones.

So, I might not be online for awhile. It could be a bit of time before we get things put back together.

It might also have not been a tornado. I know that just before the storm, they said there were 90mph+ winds coming towards us. What I saw, was NOT 90mph+ winds. It was probably 120mph+! I do think it was a tornado. I saw the trees behind my house spinning around, and just the way some of my neighbors trees look, I think there was definite rotation in the storm.

I got pictures, lots of cussing and swearing on them from my mom tho...so not sure if I'll post the videos...I might post some still shots later.

I'm going to go chug a bunch of lemonade now. I'm thirsty, hot and tired...and I'm really ****** off about my tree getting murdered by the storm. Why couldnt it have been the ugly tree in the backyard and not my wonderful ash tree. Dangit! We just got this tree grown up to the point where it was a great shade tree and we really liked it!

I'm going to go cry about my tree now. *sniff!*

Wow, glad you're ok! I hope they get the power restored soon so you can go back home! I'd be really upset if my red maple got hit!

I forgot to mention that I fell down in my basement (again) and hurt both knees and my left foot. So, I'm hobbling around, but other than a few bruises I'm ok. I tripped over a chair that was too close to another chair (carpet cleaners earlier this week and shoved them too close together)

I'll be sore in the morning...but, oh well.

I'm just mad about my tree. We always sit out in the front yard, and this year was probably the first year we could call that tree an actual shade tree. Now it'll probably be firewood.

I wish I could stay in the hotel until things get all straightened out. I dont know if I can deal with 90deg temps next week.

I just have to say that I have not been that scared by a storm since 1975.

Oh, I forgot to mention, that my cousin and her husband who live southwest of where I live, lost the roof to their house...and my cousin is having her baby in 2weeks. Yikes! What a mess!

I caught some of it on the weather channel this morning, they're "investigating" the possibility of a touchdown. Glad you're all okay, Erin and I hope your power is restored when you get home.

Glad you are safe. The rest is just stuff.

We had a tornado touch town in New Hampshire last week! New Hampshire! what is that all about?

Stay safe and tucked into your room. Stay cool and dont worry. We will all be here when you get back. :hug:

Glad your safe! I hope you don't have bad damage. Sorry about the tree.

My dad called and said our power was back on at about 9am. So, we're going to check out of the hotel in a few minutes.

My aunt lives right across the street and she doesnt have any power right now. Different grid.

I'm going to go pick up some lunch for my aunt and my dad before I go home.

I dont know if I have internet at home, so if you all dont hear from me for a bit, that would probably be why. I also think the electricity might be a bit spotty. You would not believe all the power lines that I saw down last night. All I can say about that is HOLY CARP!!! I've never seen damage like last night, except maybe from a tornado. I've never seen straight line winds do some of the stuff that happened last night!

Gotta go gawk at storm damage on the way home! My mom is a bit of a ghoul.

Glad to hear you all came out of it safely!

( be nice to Mom! :p)

Glad you are ok too Erin - take care!

Erin
So sorry for the loss of your tree, but am so glad you and your family are safe. I hope you didn't hurt yourself to badly. Take care and keep us posted.

:hug:'s

Glad ya'll are safe and you got your power back. It's awful not to have A/C when it's so hot. I'd have gone to a hotel, too! Not sure my cats would have enjoyed it but they don't get a vote!!

Glad that you and the family are safe Erin.

Sorry to hear about the loss of the tree. This weather is getting
so crazy any more all over.

Jappy :hug:

I'm home!

My mom and I got home and managed to not hit anyone, or any trees or random children on bicycles.

My dad already had someone chopping up our tree (bye-bye shade tree) by the time my mom and I got home. They had it chainsawed and on the truck within about 15 minutes.

The those guys went down the street and got the tree that was ripped out of a yard about four houses UP the hill. The tree landed at the bottom of the hill and in the street in front of my next door neighbor's house.

We found out that the street around the corner that is an entrance into our neighborhood floods...and I mean BIBLICAL FLOODS when we get rain like we had last night. (4 inches an hour of rain!) When I saw it, there was a minivan in the middle of the road, covered in mud, water up to the doors, abandoned with it's lights on. That was about a half hour after the storm.

My aunt told me that while it was still raining, she saw that minivan with water OVER THE WINDSHIELD, headlights shining thru the water. She tried to get to it to see if anyone was inside, but the water was chest deep (she estimated, didnt test that theory tho) and it was not just a creek of water, but it was a river of water.

That river of water is actually a creek that's buried and runs behind our house. We dont see the creek, but there's a culvert that opens out above ground at the end of our next door neighbor. So, that water rushes across the street. The association president and a few other neighbors witnessed the river (I only saw the large lake it created) and we're going to have to talk to the SID (Sanitation Improvement District) and see if something can be done about it. (bury the creek deeper???)

I warned all the neighbors that I talked to, that they should not use that entrance into the neighborhood when we have a big storm. A few of the neighbors lost cars to the "car wash" already (in storm a few weeks ago) This was a much worse and more wet of a storm.

I'm going to suggest that we have signs posting warnings that there could be water over the road. (think I'll go email the association about that right now!)

Wow, Erin. Glad you are all OK. So sorry about your beloved tree..:hug:

Boy
 

I'm sorry my brother the odd one was in bed with his wife the strange one,
she told him she thought she heaard a crack,he kept sleeping,she went to
the basement..The tree fell right on the roof :eek: well that got him up
.and running......now that was scary,don't care if he's odd,his wife strang didn't have to keep repeating,I told you so for 1 year..

I really glad your ok,Mo. is in such a bad way,,the rain well kepts coming
so many thought it wasn't going to be so bad,all those sand bags,crops gone ,and people to...We are ok,but the towns surronding are flooding.

Cindy get a bed ready may have to build a ark and float to Mi,got a brother there as well, Bless you all going through the fires and the rain. Sue

I feel really bad for the people in Iowa and Missouri. This weather has pretty much been going on for a month, and it just wont go away! We havent had as much water, we'll get a bit of minor and short term flooding, but we're just getting whacked around here in Nebraska, all we have to do is get out the chain saws and brooms....the people in Iowa and Missouri really need a giant siphon or a big planet sized Wet/Dry Vac to get rid of their water.

I'm starting to think this weather system is worse than the Flood of 93.

This storm is just the first one we've had so far that's affected my family in a larger (financial) way. The tree had sentimental value for me. (reminds me of my dog)