Yesterday, this happened.
That’s a mile and a half wide, 250+ MPH tornado, barreling straight toward Omaha, NE, where we used to live. At least two neighborhoods/communities have heavy damage. Everyone’s still sorting out which communities were even hit, because more than nine tornadoes were on the ground yesterday.
Before I say anything else, all of my people are okay.
I had emails, so I wanted to make sure to say that up front. My mom and eldest younger brother live more than an hour west and north of all the action. A few of my sisters and brothers live in or around Omaha, and other than one sister who had to spend several tense hours with 350 scared and bored kids in a shelter (who, if there is any justice in the universe, is still drunk today, because that kind of subterranean hell is something no one should have to endure), everyone is fine and no one lost any property.
And because I’m exceedingly proficient at making things all about me:
I spent most of this evening just on the edge of a panic attack, to be honest. It’s been ten years this June that the twin sky-asshats spun over our little town and turned most of it into corn-dust-coated matchsticks. I still can’t remember most of that afternoon. The adrenaline and the shock just blanked it all out. I remember walking three miles in slippers (the only shoes I had left, since I’d worn them to the dentist that day) to try and find the dogs, and the heartbreak when the State Patrolman couldn’t find any signs of life in the pile that was our house.
Other than that, it’s just sort of…blank.
Which, really, is kind of a blessing in itself. I’m pretty sure the mind-wipe is all that’s keeping me from re-living it over and over every night of the rest of my natural lifetime.
Now, though, video of tornadoes will make my skin sprout goosebumps the size of Volvos, and I sort of stop breathing a little. It goes away once I realize I’m reacting to it (thankfully), but I did spend quite a few hours tonight having to re-realize it was happening.
I’m watching the news reports off and on, and the good news is that there were very few injuries with this.
Some houses and farms were scattered to the winds. But the last report I saw said there were some minor injuries and possibly a single fatality. It could have been so much worse. Better if it hadn’t happened at all, obviously, but given the size and speed of this sky-monster, it’s actually pretty astonishing that there weren’t more people hurt.
Thanks for checking in on me, those who did.
I appreciate y’all more than you know. I hope you and yours were also spared, and that the sky had it’s little rage fit and will spend the rest of 2024 as docile as a turtle.
(The good kind. Not the mean snapping turtles that will eat your face off. Just for clarification. We want 2024 to be a NICE TURTLE YEAR, thankyouverymuch.)
I knew you'd be aware of the goings on there, and didn't want to add to your stress, so I kept quiet while sending lots of love to you and protection bubbles to yours. I still remember bawling when I learned the pups were found. When you said you wanted to perhaps adventure there with Ollie I thought, please do so after the sky twist season. I'm glad fir the update and that everyone is okay. Hugs for you. xxxx
We thought about you yesterday! So glad your family is okay...an much love to you! PTSD is horrible.
Expecting more today here, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't tense about it.