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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,221
Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Adding a little lightness to a scary situation....

We thought we were out of the woods with Hurricane Florence in central NC last night and it would just be a night of hard rain - NOPE.  There's nothing like waking up at 7:30 on a lazy rainy morning... unless it's to the sound of the phone ringing in your ear and an automated voice on the other end saying "This is your _____County Weather Alert System.  There is a tornado warning for your area... take cover immediately...!"  Jump out of bed, heart racing,  turn on the TV, the warning "box" is in a straight line from where I am to where my son is, call him to make sure he's aware, get the closet open, grab a bag of cat food (my two kitties don't always come when I want them to), then watch the meteorologist show where the rotation is....  Florence has spawned three tornadoes that did damage, and lots of warnings where there was rotation and the possibility of one forming. Several years ago Hurricane Floyd spawned 18 small tornadoes.

 

The tornado warning is cancelled... called my son to tell him, put stuff back in bottom of the closet, then the phone rings again, and the message again... "There is a tornado warning, etc. etc."  I thought why are they doing it again when it was just cancelled?  Went back to the TV and sure enough, there is ANOTHER warning for our area only a mile or two from the first one.  Pull the stuff back out of the closet, back to the TV, it's showing a "very clear rotation, etc., take cover",  then it moves in a slightly different direction and we're in the clear again. Put the stuff back in the closet, find the cats, and get to what was supposed to be a normal day, not a clown show! facepalm smiley

 

Ah, what a morning.  Fed all 6 cats (indoor and outdoor), checked around outside to make sure all was okay, now here with a cup of coffee, my computer, the TV, and the first peek of SUNSHINE since last Wednesday!  I am SO thankful that we were spared the brunt of this storm, but feel so bad for those who will be affected for weeks and months to come.  It amazes me to see people in such hard hit areas who manage to keep a sense of humor!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 16,011
Registered: ‎06-09-2014

Re: Adding a little lightness to a scary situation....

That was one of the scariest parts for me @kittymomNC when I went through Andrew.  Add that to me being away at college and not being familiar with the local area and I spent most of that night under my bed with the radio in case I was about to become Dorothy.

 

Glad you are finally seeing some sun and the worst appears to be over for you.  Heart    

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,766
Registered: ‎05-09-2010

Re: Adding a little lightness to a scary situation....

Glad you are okay.  I can not imagine anything scarier than a tornado coming my way.  I would take a hurricane over that any day.

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else. Margaret Mead
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,221
Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Re: Adding a little lightness to a scary situation....


@Puppy Lips wrote:

Glad you are okay.  I can not imagine anything scarier than a tornado coming my way.  I would take a hurricane over that any day.


@Puppy Lips,  thank you. I'm in total agreement about tornadoes, at least you have a chance to get out of the way of a hurricane!  Problem with this situation is that the hurricane is what spawns the tornadoes... we got a lot of wind but not the worst of it by any means. The reason it was so scary for me this morning is that they say these can just suddenly drop out of the sky on you and you don't see them coming.  

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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,221
Registered: ‎08-09-2012

Re: Adding a little lightness to a scary situation....


@Laura14 wrote:

That was one of the scariest parts for me @kittymomNC when I went through Andrew.  Add that to me being away at college and not being familiar with the local area and I spent most of that night under my bed with the radio in case I was about to become Dorothy.

 

Glad you are finally seeing some sun and the worst appears to be over for you.  Heart    


@Laura14, I remember watching on TV how horrible Andrew was... glad your name didn't change to Dorothy!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,413
Registered: ‎03-12-2010

Re: Adding a little lightness to a scary situation....

Flo is moving today northwards, there are many tornado watches just west of us right now.

 

the winds of the ocean is pushing it further westward. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 9,600
Registered: ‎03-21-2010

Re: Adding a little lightness to a scary situation....

We're just getting what's left of Florence.  I was awakened at 1:00AM by a colossal thunder.  Strange sounding thunder....sharp bangs instead of the usual roll.  Then the gush of rain.  Lasted till about 3:45 or so.  Could not get back to bed.  It sent my husband down to check the basement.  We're still dry there.  Knocking on wood.  

 

Storms again later today.  It's just cloudy right now. Everything moving in straight lines northward.