(no subject)
I haven't updated in something like 3 or 4 months. I just haven't had the time or ambition to say anything. But, given the events of last night, I feel like I should post something.
I was on my way home from work at around 4:30 - 4:45. I hadn't been on the road for 5 minutes when the DJ on the radio said a tornado had touched down in the West Springfield / Agawam area, had crossed the river, was going through the south end of Springfield, and was headed towards East Longmeadow (where I was at that moment). I got into Longmeadow and pulled over into a shopping plaza and waited. I called a friend who was watching the news and let me know when it was safe to go up 91. She told me the tornado had overturned a tractor trailer on the Memorial bridge, and part of the roof of her office building was gone. Driving up 91 was scary. Billboards were missing, shingles and parts of roofs on the buildings gone. Street signs were blown over. It was pretty intense, even from what I could see from 91. I don't even know how long it took me to get home. There was so much traffic. There were a lot of calls from people trying to make sure I was ok.
I managed to get home just as the next bad cell was coming in. I couldn't get texts out to Mike to find out what was going on at Walmart, and we had no power. The power came back shortly after I got home and I plugged the tv back in to find out what the hell was going on. There was another sighting of a tornado in town nearby. I heard alot of honking outside and I looked out and could see the start/end of a funnel cloud. I grabbed the cats and ran to the bathroom. Mike's mom called me at some point and talked to me for a bit. I was talking to my mother off and on, and my brother was keeping tabs on me via facebook and letting me know what their news was saying. Mike's mom called him at work and told him that she though he should call me, because I was freaking out (and I was at that point). He called and said he was coming home to stay with me, and because he had to shut down the photolab because of the storms anyway.
Mike got home and we watched the news together. At some point before dark another cell came through. The sky turned green and I looked out the window and started to see some clouds separating and possibly rotating. So it was another dash to the bathroom with the cats. We stayed in there a few minutes when Mike ventured out and came right back saying that we were going to chill in there a little longer. We stayed about another 10 minutes before that whole thing passed.
For the rest of the night there were texts and phone calls from people checking on us after all the weather cleared out. I texted ny sister and Lindsey so they wouldn't call frantic at 1AM. Linds promptly called and starting humming the song from the Wizard of Oz. I even had people I barely spoke to in highschool who have since moved out of state, messaging me over facebook to find out what was going on.
Shaker Rd in Westfield is a warzone. Parts of Monson are completely destroyed. Springfield, Wilbraham, and West Springfield are heavily damaged. It freaking looks like Kansas out there. There is no power at work and I'm at home waiting for my bosses to tell me when it comes back on. If it comes back on. National Grid doesn't anticipate that happening until late tonight.
Other than that, life continues as normal. Work, school. School, work. I'm in the process of buying a new car, as long as it didn't get blown away.
Hope everyone and their loved ones is safe and sound today.
I was on my way home from work at around 4:30 - 4:45. I hadn't been on the road for 5 minutes when the DJ on the radio said a tornado had touched down in the West Springfield / Agawam area, had crossed the river, was going through the south end of Springfield, and was headed towards East Longmeadow (where I was at that moment). I got into Longmeadow and pulled over into a shopping plaza and waited. I called a friend who was watching the news and let me know when it was safe to go up 91. She told me the tornado had overturned a tractor trailer on the Memorial bridge, and part of the roof of her office building was gone. Driving up 91 was scary. Billboards were missing, shingles and parts of roofs on the buildings gone. Street signs were blown over. It was pretty intense, even from what I could see from 91. I don't even know how long it took me to get home. There was so much traffic. There were a lot of calls from people trying to make sure I was ok.
I managed to get home just as the next bad cell was coming in. I couldn't get texts out to Mike to find out what was going on at Walmart, and we had no power. The power came back shortly after I got home and I plugged the tv back in to find out what the hell was going on. There was another sighting of a tornado in town nearby. I heard alot of honking outside and I looked out and could see the start/end of a funnel cloud. I grabbed the cats and ran to the bathroom. Mike's mom called me at some point and talked to me for a bit. I was talking to my mother off and on, and my brother was keeping tabs on me via facebook and letting me know what their news was saying. Mike's mom called him at work and told him that she though he should call me, because I was freaking out (and I was at that point). He called and said he was coming home to stay with me, and because he had to shut down the photolab because of the storms anyway.
Mike got home and we watched the news together. At some point before dark another cell came through. The sky turned green and I looked out the window and started to see some clouds separating and possibly rotating. So it was another dash to the bathroom with the cats. We stayed in there a few minutes when Mike ventured out and came right back saying that we were going to chill in there a little longer. We stayed about another 10 minutes before that whole thing passed.
For the rest of the night there were texts and phone calls from people checking on us after all the weather cleared out. I texted ny sister and Lindsey so they wouldn't call frantic at 1AM. Linds promptly called and starting humming the song from the Wizard of Oz. I even had people I barely spoke to in highschool who have since moved out of state, messaging me over facebook to find out what was going on.
Shaker Rd in Westfield is a warzone. Parts of Monson are completely destroyed. Springfield, Wilbraham, and West Springfield are heavily damaged. It freaking looks like Kansas out there. There is no power at work and I'm at home waiting for my bosses to tell me when it comes back on. If it comes back on. National Grid doesn't anticipate that happening until late tonight.
Other than that, life continues as normal. Work, school. School, work. I'm in the process of buying a new car, as long as it didn't get blown away.
Hope everyone and their loved ones is safe and sound today.