Sitrep
I and mine are alive and well. No damage to report after the massive volley of storms that hit yesterday.
Gotta admit, I was finishing up the morning workout when the first siren popped off at 6AM. I mean, we get these things all the time; some of us are bound to be a bit more relaxed about it. I look at the weather radar when I get into work, and think "Well. This is probably going to be a messy day."
It starts sinking in a bit more after we spend a few hours cowering in the halls.
Then, well, I go home (the siren actually kicked in again around 3; I verified that I could get home safely and decided to bust ass out the door instead of hide in the halls for another few hours) and get to the waiting...
Then it just gets crazier from there. I really have no frame of reference for the shit that just happened to everyone in Alabama.
My attitude towards tornados is a bit like this:
1) They are semi-predictable
2) There are some steps you can take to maximize your chances of survival, but there are no guarantees
3) survival is the primary win-condition
I mean, you try to get some warning about where they'll go and when they'll be there. You thank god (or whatever thing you choose to thank) when you're not hit, and just stand by. This is the first time we've been on essentially a 14-16hr standby.
Probably the eeriest part was after we lost power around 7:15; no radar displays and no sirens avaialble. We dug up an old radio and some D-cells, and some listened to the radio while I joined my dear father in watching the sky. I mean, we know the direction it's coming from; at that time all you really can do is keep your ears/eyes open and keep right next to shelter. (Also, since we don't have a basement, well...friggin' hope it's not an F5; those leave only slabs in their wake.)
I mean, there's just not a hell of a lot you can do in that sort of situation. I think I take it a little better, though that may just be a stoicism thing. I like all the nice things I have, but if I'm alive I can always try to replace them. If I die, then I get immediate answers to all those questions I have about what happens after death.
I and mine just got supremely lucky. No damage to our house, and when you get down to it, I feel REALLY damned lucky that all we did was throw away some food. Considering the body count (I believe in the 180's by now) and the fact that a FREAKING MILE-WIDE TORNADO HIT TUSCALOOSA...yeah.
Apparently there were 75 tornado warnings in a day.
I'm just thankful I and mine are alright.
Gotta admit, I was finishing up the morning workout when the first siren popped off at 6AM. I mean, we get these things all the time; some of us are bound to be a bit more relaxed about it. I look at the weather radar when I get into work, and think "Well. This is probably going to be a messy day."
It starts sinking in a bit more after we spend a few hours cowering in the halls.
Then, well, I go home (the siren actually kicked in again around 3; I verified that I could get home safely and decided to bust ass out the door instead of hide in the halls for another few hours) and get to the waiting...
Then it just gets crazier from there. I really have no frame of reference for the shit that just happened to everyone in Alabama.
My attitude towards tornados is a bit like this:
1) They are semi-predictable
2) There are some steps you can take to maximize your chances of survival, but there are no guarantees
3) survival is the primary win-condition
I mean, you try to get some warning about where they'll go and when they'll be there. You thank god (or whatever thing you choose to thank) when you're not hit, and just stand by. This is the first time we've been on essentially a 14-16hr standby.
Probably the eeriest part was after we lost power around 7:15; no radar displays and no sirens avaialble. We dug up an old radio and some D-cells, and some listened to the radio while I joined my dear father in watching the sky. I mean, we know the direction it's coming from; at that time all you really can do is keep your ears/eyes open and keep right next to shelter. (Also, since we don't have a basement, well...friggin' hope it's not an F5; those leave only slabs in their wake.)
I mean, there's just not a hell of a lot you can do in that sort of situation. I think I take it a little better, though that may just be a stoicism thing. I like all the nice things I have, but if I'm alive I can always try to replace them. If I die, then I get immediate answers to all those questions I have about what happens after death.
I and mine just got supremely lucky. No damage to our house, and when you get down to it, I feel REALLY damned lucky that all we did was throw away some food. Considering the body count (I believe in the 180's by now) and the fact that a FREAKING MILE-WIDE TORNADO HIT TUSCALOOSA...yeah.
Apparently there were 75 tornado warnings in a day.
I'm just thankful I and mine are alright.