cliaz Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 So I live in Holly Springs, NC. We had been watching the next all afternoon as these big storms were rolling in to our state. One county after the other we watch the storms creeping closer and closer to where we live, they came straight for us. I grabbed our bug out bag and pulled out the glow sticks and portable dvd player and cleared out our downstairs closet. The TV said that tornadoes were sighted touching down in our town and then all of a sudden the power went. I put them all in the closet and then checked the front of the house. It was not wind outside but the lighting was crazy. Loud, big booms cracking what sounded like right above the house. Then I noticed the neighbors across the street from us trees all bend to the right and snap. I ran back towards the closet under the stairs and I saw out of my back window our neighbors big oak tree in their back yard get pulled from the ground and fell over onto the back of their house. Then all of a sudden ever window on our ground floor around me groaned and my ears popped. Rapid pressure change. I opened up the closet door, threw a blanket on the wife and kids and tried to get over them as best i could. The worst feeling of my life was hearing my daughter scream and my son getting very upset while hearing the wind whipping around outside and knowing that there wasn't anything I could do about it. But then it just stopped all of a sudden and within minutes the sun was out. Very surreal experience. It was dead quiet. We had, apparently, two tornadoes skip through our area today. Everyone in a 6 house radius escaped damage except for the tree over my neighbors house (chimney is supporting the tree and blocked it from hitting the roof full on) and land scape damage (small trees, bushes) but you go outside of my block there are roofs damaged, dude two streets over had a tree split his house in half and if you go outside of our neighborhood there are stop signs piercing trees, road signs bent in half, leveled barns, and significant woodland damage. You can see a damage path pretty clearly from this hilltop near by. Our section of town is very luck in that our electrical lines run from the plant to our area all underground. So we have power right now. I have no idea how people can live in the midwest with this kind of threat looming for them every summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electricrelish Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 So I live in Holly Springs, NC. We had been watching the next all afternoon as these big storms were rolling in to our state. One county after the other we watch the storms creeping closer and closer to where we live, they came straight for us. I grabbed our bug out bag and pulled out the glow sticks and portable dvd player and cleared out our downstairs closet. The TV said that tornadoes were sighted touching down in our town and then all of a sudden the power went. I put them all in the closet and then checked the front of the house. It was not wind outside but the lighting was crazy. Loud, big booms cracking what sounded like right above the house. Then I noticed the neighbors across the street from us trees all bend to the right and snap. I ran back towards the closet under the stairs and I saw out of my back window our neighbors big oak tree in their back yard get pulled from the ground and fell over onto the back of their house. Then all of a sudden ever window on our ground floor around me groaned and my ears popped. Rapid pressure change. I opened up the closet door, threw a blanket on the wife and kids and tried to get over them as best i could. The worst feeling of my life was hearing my daughter scream and my son getting very upset while hearing the wind whipping around outside and knowing that there wasn't anything I could do about it. But then it just stopped all of a sudden and within minutes the sun was out. Very surreal experience. It was dead quiet. We had, apparently, two tornadoes skip through our area today. Everyone in a 6 house radius escaped damage except for the tree over my neighbors house (chimney is supporting the tree and blocked it from hitting the roof full on) and land scape damage (small trees, bushes) but you go outside of my block there are roofs damaged, dude two streets over had a tree split his house in half and if you go outside of our neighborhood there are stop signs piercing trees, road signs bent in half, leveled barns, and significant woodland damage. You can see a damage path pretty clearly from this hilltop near by. Our section of town is very luck in that our electrical lines run from the plant to our area all underground. So we have power right now. I have no idea how people can live in the midwest with this kind of threat looming for them every summer. Wow. Glad to hear you're OK. I'm in Charlotte, and my power went out twice. I left for my g/f's house with power, so I don't know if anything fell in my backyard. The last storm that came through on Monday resulted in a tree in my backyard falling into my neighbor's yard and dinging their shed. The winds were really high today, but I don't think any tornadoes hit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Dick Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Some scary stuff right there. Really glad to hear that you were cognizant of what was going on and took action. I'm not sure you were paying attention to the sound, but to me it sounds like a freight train. I've heard that sound maybe 2-3 times in my life, and after the first time, you know what it is. Of course, at this point, I'm more likely to throw the family in the basement and take the camera outside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electricrelish Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 4 people died from the storms today in NC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Holy crap man . . . . Glad you and your family are OK!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tazinib1 Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Man...very glad to hear that you and your family are ok. Never experienced a tornado, only earthquakes here. But that sounds just plain scary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopazz Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) Dodged a bullet here in Wake Forest. Lost communiciations, no water pressure for a while, but the power stayed on. Lots of branches and a few small trees down, thats about it. What a storm though. Glad your OK. ETA - watching the new coverage this morning and realized that some of the most serious damage in Raleigh area is within two miles of my home. Houses ripped apart - thats a little close to home, we were REALLY lucky. Edited April 17, 2011 by whoopazz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooby's Hubby Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 (edited) have an aunt uncle and cousin who survived a tornado that ripped their roof completely off while they were huddled in the bathroom with a rubber bath tub no slip thingy over their heads ... they built another house on the same lot. sorry you guys had to go through that. paris, tx - tornado alley. Edited April 17, 2011 by Scooby's Hubby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteelBunz Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Wow! Glad you guys are alright, Cliaz!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tosberg34 Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Schnikes! Glad you and your family are OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 So glad your family is alright. Puts a lot into perspective! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avernus Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 it's good that everyone is alright and the fact that people live in areas where this happens almost on the clock every year is insane to me.... and hopefully there won't be another one like that..I heard it was nasty and we had something crazy here last night, but nothing like that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaman Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Glad you guys are well man, and good reaction on your part to everything going on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buddahj Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 I'm also glad you & your family are okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Glad that you are all ok. My family lived a few miles south of the Iowa/Minnesota border when I was a baby. A tornado hit our property and caused quite a bit of damage to it. We had to move out and evenutally ended up a mile north of the border instead. I know that that same area has had about four or five other tornadoes touch down since then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rajncajn Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Scary stuff... Glad you & the family are all ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Glad that you are all ok. My family lived a few miles south of the Iowa/Minnesota border when I was a baby. A tornado hit our property and caused quite a bit of damage to it. We had to move out and evenutally ended up a mile north of the border instead. I know that that same area has had about four or five other tornadoes touch down since then. Wait a minute... you're from IOWA???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushwacked Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Scary stuff... Glad you & the family are all ok. Ditto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polksalet Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 Glad you're ok. You wouldn't survive here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmypg Posted April 17, 2011 Share Posted April 17, 2011 I'm glad everyone is ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westvirginia Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Scary stuff man - glad you n yours are OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loaf Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 glad you're OK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Glad you're okay. I had a tree fall that missed my shed by a couple of feet. It was already mostly dead and I was wondering how I was going to get it down and those storms on Saturday finally toppled it. Gotta pull out the old chainsaw this weekend. A couple of counties over got hit really bad. Not as badly as North Carolina. They said you guys got "Oklahoma-style tornadoes", which are rare around here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 (edited) Wait a minute... you're from IOWA???? It could be worse, I could be from Wisconsin. Edited April 18, 2011 by MikesVikes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Itals Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Glad you and the family are ok, cliaz. And for what it's worth, we midwesterners wonder how you crazy people live out that way with hurricanes threatening your coasts and how Californians and the like live under threat of earthquakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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