23 months ago today

April 2 2006 was a beautiful spring day. We were outside getting some sun and letting the grandbaby play and enjoy the fresh air. The city elections were in 2 days. We were anxiously wondering if our candidates would win.

Don't remember who noticed first but before we knew it, We(esp. my daughter) were making trips back and forth in the house. Severe weather was developing in Arkansas and we were keeping a eye on local tv station. As well as monitoring the weather bug and my police scanner. The storms were getting worse and moving this direction.

Parts of this are a blur and parts are still so vivid. I remember hearing Marmaduke Ar. had just been hit by a tornado and there was mass destruction. It was still roaring our way. I was a little concerned but mostly thinking about the poor people in AR.

Afterall, we are on the Mississippi River. We're protected by the river. A tornado won't hit here it will jump the river. Let me tell you now I know from experience that is a MYTH. A tornado can hit ANYWHERE at anytime.

Before were knew it the monster was in Missouri. The county to the west of us was in a TORNADO WARNING. It was less than 30 minutes away. Could hear the reports coming across the scanner, this was a killer. Whoa it missed the town it was headed for BUT now it was headed straight for us.

By this time we were in the house watching tv, weather bug, listening to the scanner. Our storm spotters were out everywhere. OOPS I'd left my little portable scanner outside. My daughter went to get it. We heard rolling thunder that went on and on and on while she was out there. Figured out later that wasn't thunder it was the tornado destoring a small town in it's wake and leaving 1 dead and her son to die later from substained injuries. Our tornado sirens started sounding and continueing going off until the monster was gone.

My daughter came back inside and said look at the sky it's getting green. We live behind a church and my daughter said calmly it's time to go to the church. My daughter is usually not as calm as she was and truthfully I usually don't listen to her cause she used to panic. We all took off to the church. The rain hit so she grabbed up the grandbaby and ran with her.

Church was just getting out. We informed the pastor what was happening. Some of the members had left but quite a few were stll there. After a few minutes a friend of ours said he was going home it was just going to rain. His wife said oh NO you're not. My husband and other men in the church watch it coming toward us.

Someone yelled take shelter, there were quite a few kids and their mothers in a medium size bathroom. I was in the hall with other ladies but I squeezed my way through to get to my grandchild and daughter. Because if this was the end I wanted to be with them.

I remember hearing alot of praying going on. One little boy started to cry then my grandaughter started crying. His daddy came into the bathroom and took him from his mama(altho, she didn't want to let him go) he quited him. I never was so glad to see a man in a woman's bathroom it was a calming presence for a few minutes. I heard them say on my scanner a roof had just fell on the fire cheif(he's ok).

The lights flickered, more praying then the lights were out, crying, screaming, praying. Then it was over. Flashlights were turned on, heard scanner say entire south end of our town was GONE. More screaming some of these people had family there. My friends wife screamed at me TURN THAT THING OFF. I said NO we need to know when its ok to leave.

After a few minutes we went outside. There was hail the size of golfballs everywhere, mud on everything. Power lines and trees down. Windows broke out debri all around. But we were in the middle of town. Our house was fine but just 2 blocks south was the war zone devastation everywhere.

My sister was right in the middle of the tornado her house came down around her. Her and her neighbors help theirselves out to safety. 60 percent of our town was destoried by a F3 tornado. Thankfully there was no lose of life here. But it moved across the river to Tennessee to kill more people. The town had alot of rebuilding to do and some still going on.

Less than 2 weeks before this happened we'd had a class on what to do in a natural disaster. Our fire cheif had also receive an award for having our town storm ready. We're the only town in our area that was storm ready. That means they had plans in place, had took all the training and knew what to do if a bad storm hit.

I could go on and on telling you about things I saw, like neighbor helping neighbor, how people came from everywhere to assist. The narrow escapes, the wonder of why it hit one house but not the one beside it. But I wont do that now this is about long enough might tell more later in the month.

I can tell you everyone in our town was effeced by this monster if not physically then emotionally. I tell this with the hope that you'll always take the weather seriously. Have your protection plan in place, listen to tv, radio, whatever you have. Please don't have a false sense of security if you live close to a river, mountain or any other thing that's supposed to protect from storms.

Stay safe and know your surroundings.