Toystoretom

Living Legend
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
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The other day I started a thread about how nice of a day Saturday was, well, last night the you know what hit the fan. We got pounded by tornadoes, severe T storms and hail. I'd say we had quarter to golf ball size hail here and I have a ricer car that's about two inches shorter than it used to be. Tornado damage out by the Kansas Speedway and east of here out by Richman. This kind of severe weather usually starts in late April but really gets going in May. And they say there is no global warming. Could you imagine riding a bike in that kind of hail...
 
I would end up in Oz... one of those storms was moving at 75 mph. Those things always seem to happen after dark so ya can't see them. It would make a good picture though. OK...I'll do it :D. Here in about a month they will be all over the place. Its great to live in the midwest....
 
The first Tornado and the worst in our region came into view from our
house about 4:00 pm yesterday. A minute earlier I was looking at a hook
echo over us on Doppler radar and thought I better go outside and have a
look see. The Tornado was about 5 miles away to the southwest when I
first saw it. Probably near 52 and 127 highways. As it bore down on us I
could see it was getting much closer, larger, and louder with lots of
debris spinning as if in slow motion. Trish and the boys were in the
basement but I was compelled to stay outside, praying hard while taking four
pictures. Within 5 or 6 minutes it was upon us with 3/10th of a mile
between. Sounding just like Niagara Fall's (Canadian
side) and looking VERY large, I saw part of our
chicken barns disappear into it's dust and debris cloud. I prayed
continuously for everyone to be safe in our neighborhood but it wasn't going
to be the case.

Miraculously our barns were spared, save one small pocket curtain getting
tore away from two nails...........that's it!! The 1/2 mile wide Tornado
missed the chicken barns by 1/10 mile or less and our house by 3/10 mile.
Our neighbors to the south and east were not spared with as much damage as
one can image from a half mile wide F2 Tornado. I was told an F2 has sustained winds in the 160mph range. What spared some from total loss was the speed at which this beast was traveling, about 60mph. Less than two miles to
the east of us a lady was crushed by her mobile home as she was fleeing,
seeking refuge in her car. Apparently she safely made it, but was crushed
immediately afterward. She was found dead in her car shortly after.

The power just came on today about midnight. Trish and the boys are
spending the night at Best Western and I am keeping an eye on things here as
the generators at the chicken barns are earning their high price tag. I'm staying here to make sure our 144,000 chickens live to see another day.

Jeff


Here's a pic just as the Tornado passed:
 
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Glad you and yours are safe Hondax! Makes all this other BS that has been going on between Forums seem pretty childish and pathetic. Go help your neighbours... If I was there I would too!
 
The outpouring of help has been overwhelming. Our gravel road has never seen so much traffic. Lot's of looky-lou's which are a pain for the rescue workers to get around. With our business nearing the height of the work load it's been difficult to help in any meaningful way, but today should be different.

I'm still somewhat numb from all this, but at least we have a home to go to. My nearest neighbor to the east had extensive damage to his farm. The Tornado took an 18 wheeler of his and set it on top of a machine shed,which promptly collapsed. His house looks like it was used as target practice with every window blown out. One of his big barns just vaporized. Some of his registered Black Angus cattle were found dead in a nearby stream. It's just terrible.

This Tornado stayed on the ground for at least 10 to 15 miles averaging 1/2 mile across and 160mph sustained winds. The state and local officials are still accessing the scope of the damage. No one i knew was killed or seriously injured. Some fellow poultry growers had their barns destroyed not 2 miles away. Too much to comprehend!!:(

Jeff
 
Glad to here your OK Hondax, I've spent many a horrible night riding out hurricanes in my town, sounds like a yard full of dinosaurs! That dude on the St.Augustine run, RKT3 was Jerry right? or are you Jerry? I really bad with names....:D
 
We had a little F-1 hit the town where I work in central N.C. last spring. Took part of the roof off the car dealership where I work, destroyed several houses and threw trees everywhere. I can't imagine what a big one must be like. I guess the land is too hilly here for them to really get going good like they do out in the plains.

Glad you and yours are safe. My heart goes out to those who wern't so lucky
 
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