Norman F1 Tornado ~ June 13, 2009

Whew!! When I say it was a close call, trust me, it was closer than a close call could be without actually being in the path of destruction. It truly was a CLOSE CALL!!

Last night we were sitting on the deck talking, when all of a sudden the lightening came out of no where...I mean, I didn't even see a cloud when the sun was going down and now, the night sky looked like a firecracker, a sparkler, going off.


Normally, I love these storms, but being that we were outside under a huge umbrella and had a ton of pool and outdoor toys to put up, I was a little "nervous". The bolts of lightening that were almost in sync with each boom of roaring thunder increased by the second it seemed as did my "awareness" of the impending storms approach!


After scurrying around to pick up things, we headed inside. The news was on, they had mentioned that our county was under a severe thunderstorm warning. Possibility of large hail, damaging winds, and frequent cloud to ground lightening. Okay...that was all already noted in progress.


I stood at the large picture window that is in the front of my mother-in-law's house facing northwest. I noticed a large black cloud in a large "v" shape and then lighter clouds behind it. This was illuminated more and more with each flash of lightening. I told Daren, "Look at that cloud, it looks like a tornado." Daren thinks my panic over our family safety during severe weather is uncalled for and has been at the epicenter of many of discussions. I pretty much got no response at my "sighting".


No more than 60 seconds later, the phone rang. It was our neighbor whose husband works for a local electrical company. She said that a tornado had been spotted at 24th Ave N.W. and Alameda and that we needed to take cover (get into a closet) ASAP. (the location that she gave is approximately 1 1/2 miles from Gayle's) So, I'm repeating EVERYTHING she is saying and no one is doing anything. So, I get a little "pushy" and demand that the children be moved to the closet in the master bedroom. Whew!! You would have thought I asked for the world to come together as one and be at peace. Daren was anything but pleased at my "barking orders" as he so fondly calls it.


Finally, he gets up, but I don't see where he is headed. He went to the office first to turn the computers off. That was more than I could take...I felt of such little value in comparison to the computers. Seriously...is anyone seeing my point here? There is a tornado...I can see it out the front window and the computer is the first thing that is protected? Again, I hit the roof.


After chasing him out of the office with stomping feet, all the children were gathered from their beds and placed in the master closet that had been just moments before rid of shoes and "crap" that was on the floor. Kory was crying. He kept saying "I wanna go home" "I wanna take a nap". I can understand, the kid was pulled up from the bed that he was deeply asleep in and shoved in a hot closet with his twin sisters and parents who were anything but speaking.


Gayle never entered into the closet. She stayed out to watch the weather. When it had passed us and made its way towards Little Axe, she came and told us all was clear. It was then that the tornado sirens went off. Something happened with the alarm and the sirens didn't sound until most of the damage in Cleveland County was done.


Still, Daren's faith in my sighting of this beast of a storm, remains shaky at best. But I found it. I found the picture that mirrors that in which I was gazing at a few minutes before Marilyn's phone call. (Actually, Melissa found it) The tornado touched down first on her corner in her neighborhood, affecting the houses to her east. The damage that she had was mainly cosmetic damage to our favorite place to hang out on summer nights. Her gazebo!!! (Note evidence picture #1 below)

The neighbor across the street to the Northeast lost almost the entire front of his house along with a large portion of his roof. Not only was this taken away, but he was "given" a trampoline that had been tossed from another yard into his. Nice huh? (Note evidence picture #2...AGAIN, LET ME REMIND YOU THAT MELISSA LIVES LESS THAN A MILE FROM US!!)





So, enough said. There was in fact a small tornado that hit the east side of Norman. The devastation from the Moore tornado in about 1999, is far, far, FAR more substantial than anything that resulted in this small little guy. But, it was enough damage for me to feel good about my demand for "family safety". And, in case you are out there and still have question as to the truth of this, what has now become in our family, urban legend; here is a video of the EXACT THING I SAW OUT THE WINDOW OF GAYLE'S, TAKEN AT EXACTLY THE SAME TIME!!

(You'll have to click on the link because, after over 30 minutes of trying to get the actual video to post directly on this page, I've given up....just click below....sit back in awe!!) :0)

http://vimeo.com/5139190