05-6-2008 - Monster Tornado

My mood while writing this blog: Hungry

So here I am finally, ready to tell you all about my day on

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008.

I woke up that morning feeling like someone had ran me over. I was crying with my head in the toilet, having the worst case of dry heaves, known to womankind...ticked off at Troy cause, well... just because I was the one having the dry heaves and he was at work and felt wonderful.

I knew it was a gloomy day outside but never did step one foot out the door. Cujo and Dexie were out in the back yard playing, when I heard it start to rain. I had decided to call Troy and tell him how I felt, as I was still curled up in front of our toilet. My husband is wonderful and knew I felt like poo when I told him that I didn't like him anymore. I think he thought I was joking. I remember I wasn't. heheheh

I got up, let in my wet puppies and started to gaze out back. I told Troy that it was starting to hail, but it was nothing too bad. The Hail was about the size of marbles to golf balls. I grabbed my camera after getting off the phone with Troy to take a couple shots of our backyard. The dogs were just looking at me as they sat on the sofa. The Hail had died down for about 30 seconds only to pick up harder. This time the hail was the size of Golf ball to the size of Eggs.

We have a tin shelter cover that leads off the back of our house. I called Troy back cause I was getting scared and just wanted to talk to him. EVERYTHING WAS SO LOUD. I looked back to my puppies on the sofa and they also were getting nervous. I do remember having a moment of worrying about my car, but really it was a thought that came into my head and passed just as fast. As I am talking to Troy on the phone it died down once again but to start up only quicker with Baseball size hail that was Crushing everything in its way. It all seemed like a dream. EVERTHING was so LOUD. That hail hitting the Tin, our house, pruning the trees....smashing our cars and Troy tomatoes plants!

I think I lost it as this moment. I always thought I was a very strong person. I found out that I am not. I am a cylinder of mush. I need a container to keep my shape. If that container breaks I am lost and leak all over everything.

Things kinda become a blurr from here. I do remember standing in our living room by the entertainment center screaming to Troy about was was happening, when I heard something BREAK. I thought the noise came from the other room, I was so scared to go look. This sound was so damn loud... something REALLY BIG had to have fallen or broke. What was in that room that could be that big?!? It was like a SNAP...goodness words can't describe what I heard that day. At least I am not very good describing them. I think Troy heard it on the other side of the phone.

At that moment... I looked out side, still standing in the living room, to see only brown. I could also see trees branches touching our sidewalk. ( There are NO trees that could reach that far )

I WANTED TO TALK MY DAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hung up with Troy...as he is NOT wanting to hang up with me and scared beyond belief too.

I called dads cell... Now, I don't know if he couldn't understand me due to the noise or me screaming at this point.

ALL my windows started to break!!! Glass flying into our home! The wind was sooooo STRONG. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know where to go, I didn't know what in the hell was going on. WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT?

I am on the phone trying to tell dad that all my windows are breaking. EVERY ONE of our rooms has a window! Where could I stand not to get hit with glass?????

Dad is trying to tell me to calm down. CALM DOWN?? CALM DOWN??? You don't know what is going on here! Dad, I kept saying, everything is BREAKING! Shingles are whirling at me through the broken windows. Things from my kitchen are flying through the dining room into my living room. The sounds are soooo LOUD.

I then stand in the door way from our living room to our bedroom, with my puppies who are also LOSING IT, as the window blows OUT in the bedroom! Thank God, it didn't break into the room...all three of us would have been covered in glass. The wind sucked out our blinds threw the window.

At some point I ended up talking to Ron, who works at Lakers, a neighbor of ours back in Enders. He took the phone from Dad to also tell me to CALM DOWN. By this time things started to stop. I was also trying to tell Ron what was going on but I don't think I was doing a very good job.

With glass everywhere...I was trying to find somewhere to put the dogs. Dexie had about had it. If you are one to think that "things" don't bother animals. You are DEAD WRONG. You have never seen the look that I saw in my dogs eyes. A terrified look, a look that will drop you to your knees, because I couldn't do anything to stop what was going on. My puppies wanted in my lap and I too wanted to be in a lap. We all wanted to be held.

I closed them in a room with no glass on the floor, so I could go outside and find someone...anyone.

It was dead silent out there. Nothing moved. I couldn't help but cry. Where was everyone? Oh my God, what happened?

Outside was a strange new world. I couldn't see most of the houses down the street due to trees uprooted or broken down. The house right across from us had HUGE trees laying on it. Our cars...oh my....my poor car....where is everyone???? Finally I see our Neighbor Sarah. I really don't know her, we have only exchanged hello's before but we hugged as soon as we got to each other.

I am not sure how much time passed after the tornado went over our home to when Troy, Monica and Heather came running in. It was so WONDERFUL to be hugged again but this time by my family! Heather and Monica had RAN two blocks to get to the house. They had left their car in the middle of the road, due to a huge tree down, two blocks over. Troy got passed the security block because we know and love the lady who was directing the traffic. (The lady from the little antique store) He told he that I was home and she told him to hurry up and get to me!

When we were finally all together, Troy was told that there was another tornado coming our way. WHERE DO WE GO NOW? The only place where thought of was Troy's Co-workers house. He has a basement! So Troy, Monica, Heather, Cujo, Dexie and I all loaded up in the Jeep, that had a broken windshield. As we start driving, what happened started to sink in. The others had already kinda of seen some of the damage, yet I had not...To see homes ripped in half, living rooms exposed to world, homes with no outer walls or second floors gone, no roofs or no garage.... just seeing once beautiful trees slit in half or uprooted at the base was so sad to see. I was so lucky...I still have a home. My home is still standing. It my be missing windows, shingles and siding...but it is all together....I was sooo lucky.

Not knowing that we were heading into the hardest hit area, three blocks from our house...we get to Tom's house. The smell of Gas was STRONG. We only stayed there for about half an hour...the Gas was BAD. We end up taking Toms son with us and headed to the high school for shelter.

Hours went by...

I felt like poo...Goodness, was my baby okay? I was being told by everyone to calm down, don't cry, take it easy.... I know it was all out of love...but I WAS TRYING TOO!

I want this baby more than anyone! All I could think of was, what did this day do to my little one? What did I do? Please be okay...God Please watch over us!

We were able to get back to the house that same day, to grab some valuables. Then we went to Monica & Jamies to stay the night.

The next week was a blurr...I don't remember what we did on which day. But things are looking better now. God Blessed us and Windsor.

I don't know how I survived an F3 tornado... well yes I do. It wasn't touching the ground all the way.

Thank you, God. Thank you!

Here are so tid bits...that I wanted to share.

That sound that scared me while I was in my living room was an 90 year old tree busting and falling towards our home.

Troy was told not to go into Windsor, for there was nothing that he could do...the tornado was already there. *Thank you for coming, Troy* I love you!

Our church, Windsor Church of Christ, lost the top of the church. About 16 members came to our home to help clean up our yard and Tarp our roof.

Heather and Monica helped clean up our kitchen...thank YOU!

My car had over $14,200.00 worth of damage to it.

We still don't know where our Trash can is.

Dexie and Cujo were sick for days after the storm. Poor puppies.

Troys jeep had $7,200.00 worth of damage. (Now my car)...ugggh...I miss mine! :)

Only one person passed away that awful day. R.I.P.

Winds got up to 180 mph.

I hate the wind, and never want to see another tornado in my life.

On a good note...

We went to the doctor yesterday and heard the babies heartbeat again. 170 bpm!!!

We are all going to be okay! Thank you for all the calls, cards, and prayers. We love you.