A New Tornado Alley?

[Susan - s3js]

Wow! What a couple of weeks. Two weekends in a row our area was hit by tornadoes that took the power down. Fortunately, we are all fine with no damage, but the power thing was a problem. I'd just get a LO down and the internet would go back down and boy was it cold. It wasn't so bad the first weekend. he power was only our for 12 hours, but the internet was a different story. This past weekend was devastating. I live in far western Kentucky and we got hit hard. Our power was down for days and we were freezing and hungry. I can't sleep without my bipap machine so I'm exhausted. But...

Disaster brings out the very best in people. When Justin managed to get a plea out on Facebook Messenger for a location for buying firewood, friends came and dropped half a truckload on our lawn - they said it was extra and they didn't need it, wouldn't accept anything other than a hug. My oldest went to Mayfield to do search and rescue. They gave him a cadaver dog since he's trained in that part. Fortunately, the dog also alerted for the living who far outnumbered the dead. And we had each other, all safe and sound, even my cousin and her children who are all safe but their house was destroyed. Her brother is a contractor so I imagine he will build it back for her.

Now if we can just get the internet to work right. There's still down-line fiber optic and transmission problems, so it's spotty at best. Right now I'm at work and we have limited connectivity. Everyone is being asked to limit our usage. I would love to download and upload, but I can't at home and not allowed here.

So, I will see you all as I can pop in and just maybe I can get some LOs posted! Take care of yourselves, hug your loved ones, and tell them you love them. You just never know...

 

[sharonb]

Oh @Susan - s3js so sorry to hear about everything. I do understand the bipap machine as my husband uses one and if he misses, it is exhausing for him. Take care and we are praying for you and all the people in Kentucky

 

[Fayette]

The news coverage of your area shows just how crazy it has been. I hope you get back to normal soon & that you've seen the last of the tornadoes! I'm glad you had friends and neighbors looking out for each other!

 

[bcgal00]

So sorry to hear. Hope things are back to normal soon. How wonderful that others have stepped in to help.

 

[Susan - s3js]

We are getting there. I have been able to stay on line for a bit today and even to upload, but downloading is till VERY slow. My ISP has a bandwidth slowdown in place. They never tell you about it but you can always tell - nothing like a 50MB download that takes 10 hours! We are fortunate, though. My co-worker's kids would be going crazy except that they have been doing disaster work since their town was hit. They are so tired at the end of the day they just fall into bed.

My heart goes out to all those affected and who have lost dear ones. It will not be a merry Christmas this year.

 

[heathert]

Wow Susan, that's intense! I'm so glad that everything is ok for you except for the internet and the CPAP. I hope you stay safe and that the weather is done being "interesting" in your area for quite a while...

 

[Susan - s3js]

Thanks for your moral support, y'all!

We thought we might be in for some more just a bit ago. Thunder and lightning, torrential rain, but so far so good except that the temperature is going UP not down. That is worrisome because when warm air hits cold air and the humidity is high a quick drop in the temp will spawn tornadoes. That's what happened in Huntsville, Alabama on 15 Nov 1989 when that tornado outbreak wreaked havoc on the town. We had a 15 degree F drop in about 4 minutes, then down to the high teens from the 70s. Huntsville looked like London after the Blitz. I was a dispatcher for Federal Express and got all my couriers to safety, including the one who saw one of them hit right in front of her. She was from Rhode Island and did not understand my order to get OUT of the van and to safety even if it was only a culvert or ditch. Better cold and wet than dead! I knew that part of town like the back of my hand, and like the couriers I sent to get her (my best) after the all-clear sounded, had a hard time getting my bearings to get a Salvation Army emergency canteen in there to feed the search and rescue workers. It was rough. Our shippers were wonderful about their packages being missed and late the next day! That's what Mayfield is like now. So, @jenyurko, if you are still in Madison, be safe. Tornadoes on Christmas Eve are not unheard of there, we had a couple when I was a teen. Tornadoes in this parft of Kentucky, on the other hand, are exceedingly rare, especially this time of year.

We shall see! At least I was able to upload all my LOs, so they are safe if my hard drive flies off into the night! And my youngest - he's 23 and graduating with a degree in Cyber Security and Forensics in the spring said, "Mom, I'm going to find and buy a BIG battery pack with DC capability that we can keep charged and ready for your bipap if this happens again!" He's a great kid!

 

[Ozegirl]

Thinking of you all - what a Christmas. Terrible happenings like this certainly bring home to us all just what is important in our lives and those we love and care about are everything. Presents under the tree are wonderful, having a tree is also great but to have a home to house the tree and family to open those presents - that is what it really is all about. So glad you are safe and those you love are too. Prayers that you stay safe.

 

[jenyurko]

Thanks for your moral support, y'all!

We thought we might be in for some more just a bit ago. Thunder and lightning, torrential rain, but so far so good except that the temperature is going UP not down. That is worrisome because when warm air hits cold air and the humidity is high a quick drop in the temp will spawn tornadoes. That's what happened in Huntsville, Alabama on 15 Nov 1989 when that tornado outbreak wreaked havoc on the town. We had a 15 degree F drop in about 4 minutes, then down to the high teens from the 70s. Huntsville looked like London after the Blitz. I was a dispatcher for Federal Express and got all my couriers to safety, including the one who saw one of them hit right in front of her. She was from Rhode Island and did not understand my order to get OUT of the van and to safety even if it was only a culvert or ditch. Better cold and wet than dead! I knew that part of town like the back of my hand, and like the couriers I sent to get her (my best) after the all-clear sounded, had a hard time getting my bearings to get a Salvation Army emergency canteen in there to feed the search and rescue workers. It was rough. Our shippers were wonderful about their packages being missed and late the next day! That's what Mayfield is like now. So, @jenyurko, if you are still in Madison, be safe. Tornadoes on Christmas Eve are not unheard of there, we had a couple when I was a teen. Tornadoes in this parft of Kentucky, on the other hand, are exceedingly rare, especially this time of year.

We shall see! At least I was able to upload all my LOs, so they are safe if my hard drive flies off into the night! And my youngest - he's 23 and graduating with a degree in Cyber Security and Forensics in the spring said, "Mom, I'm going to find and buy a BIG battery pack with DC capability that we can keep charged and ready for your bipap if this happens again!" He's a great kid!

We've been hearing about all the damage the latest tornado spawn did, but that was all north of us. For whatever reason, and I'll probably regret saying this, that kind of thing ends up going around us, like literally. Huntsville is a magnet, so is Harvest. There was one that was heading straight for us and made a north turn and went through/over Harvest instead. We've had them turn south and go towards/over the Huntsville airport, too. It's WEIRD. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. That crap is getting real around here - like you said, a new tornado alley. I will never say we won't see one here. I said that when we lived in Hattiesburg, MS (quote: "the most we'll have to worry about is a hurricane") and then we watched an EF4 make it's way up Hardy Street from our FRONT DOOR (we lived 2 streets removed from the stadium). Tornados give me anxiety from hell and make me wish we picked the rental with the storm shelter under the garage floor.

 

[Susan - s3js]

We've been hearing about all the damage the latest tornado spawn did, but that was all north of us. For whatever reason, and I'll probably regret saying this, that kind of thing ends up going around us, like literally. Huntsville is a magnet, so is Harvest. There was one that was heading straight for us and made a north turn and went through/over Harvest instead. We've had them turn south and go towards/over the Huntsville airport, too. It's WEIRD. Not that I'm complaining, mind you. That crap is getting real around here - like you said, a new tornado alley. I will never say we won't see one here. I said that when we lived in Hattiesburg, MS (quote: "the most we'll have to worry about is a hurricane") and then we watched an EF4 make it's way up Hardy Street from our FRONT DOOR (we lived 2 streets removed from the stadium). Tornados give me anxiety from hell and make me wish we picked the rental with the storm shelter under the garage floor.

Yeah, Hattiesburg gets some strange weather. I rode out Hurricane Andrew there. After 36 hours awake trying to get the canteen there and getting caught in a tornado in the NNE quadrant on I-10, we slept for 2 hours on the platform in the chapel before getting up to feed thousands at the arena. We figured if we weren't safe under the picture of Jesus we weren't safe anywhere. Then again, God takes care of fools and crazy people in His service. We weren't Salvation Army officers yet, but Salvationists do some crazy things sometimes!

Glad you and your family were safe. It looks like we may be headed for more next weekend. Spring weather at Christmas and we had spring, almost fall weather well into last July. Go figure!