f-4 tornado

These are things that you see on the news and don't think would really ever strike anywhere close to you. However, I think many of us in southern Indiana will definitely remember March 2, 2012. This was a day that national news came to our area to document the tragedies that an F-4 tornado can produce. The sights are completely unbelievable, especially when you know what the landscape looked like prior to the destruction.

There had been talk all day on the news that we were supposed to be getting bad/severe weather by mid-afternoon. Sometimes, though, you just never know how seriously to take it. We have been told that so many times and in the end everything was always fine. However, I know that many parents were trying to err on the side of caution. I knew of several people who were picking up their kids early from school "just in case." I had just planned on spending the afternoon in the basement with the kids (after I could give them as much of a nap as I could). That morning I gathered up some snacks, water, flashlights, blankets, books, etc. I set up a little area and was just going to hang out there. I had the news on pretty much all day just observing what the meteorologists were saying. It was looking pretty crazy. As the line of severe weather was getting closer, I kept telling people, "If it is as bad as they are saying, I have no idea how it will miss us." It was a line of severe weather heading right to our area. We prayed...and prayed.

Chelsey lives in Henryville and had gone home early from work that day...praise the Lord. Eric works crazy hours so he was sleeping when she got home. I was on the phone with her a couple times and she was contemplating whether she should wake him up or not...so they could go to his parents house down the road to ride out the storm. Eric and Chels live on a big hill and don't have a basement...so it's not the safest place to be. 

By this time, it was definitely getting closer to us and I just told her that I thought she should probably wake Eric and leave. The news kept saying that this was not something to play around with...this weather was producing very dangerous side effects. Chels told me she thought she was going to leave just in case and we hung up the phone. Less than a minute later, the meteorologist stated, "And Henryville, it is headed straight for you. Take cover now! Go to your place of shelter now." I picked the phone back up and tried to call her...and she wouldn't answer. It kept going straight to her voice mail. I tried over and over, but got nothing. It was such a weird feeling. 

There was no way it could miss us, I thought.

A few minutes after that, I saw posts on facebook about people saying that Henryville School was completely gone...completely hit by a massive tornado...completely demolished. Henryville is a tiny town. The school is very, very close to Chelsey's house. They could pretty much throw a rock from their back deck and hit it. Dad called asking if I had heard from her, several of my brothers called. People were texting me and asking me about her. I have tears in my eyes even now...writing this a few weeks after all the happenings. I am not one to freak out, but I must admit I was pretty concerned. I didn't know what she ended up doing or what had happened. 

I heard that cell phone service was not working hardly at all...only a few calls were getting out from a few different providers. Dad said he was going to drive up there if he had to, to check on her...even though they were supposedly not letting anyone in. 

I found out later that she had desperately been trying to call someone in the family and let us know that they were okay. They had left their house and drove frantically to his parents. I don't even think they knew the true state of the damage that had happened so close to them. Someone had enough service for her to tell a friend to post on fb that she was okay. I think my Dad actually did talk to her for a brief period. Then...from that moment, we all sat glued to the television as they showed the devastation that just a few seconds of a tornado had caused. It was surreal. And so very close to home. 

The tornado went in the opposite direction of Eric and Chelsey's house, but you can see it's path  about a half mile from their doorstep. They had roof and gutter damage, as well as some cracks in their ceilings (from the suction they assume). But...that was so small compared to the sights they saw later that night as they drove around. She was able to get several pictures of things and I wanted to post a few...just so I remember.

 

 Houses completely destroyed...torn off their foundation and flattened.

 

 Buses and Semi Trucks thrown everywhere and a few folded in half.

 A pic from inside the gym...where the kids would have been had they not decided to dismiss them just a little bit early. Scary to say the least.

 

 

 

These are just a few, and I think my Dad really said it best. He explained that the pictures are good at showing affects of what happened, but that each picture was really just an isolated example. He said that it wasn't until you physically stood in the midst of it all, and looked in every direction that you were able to really take in all the complete destruction and devastation. 

Chelsey and Eric described it as a movie or a war zone. I went up many, many days later, after a lot of it was already cleaned up, and it was still emotional for me. Can't imagine seeing it right after it happened.

Clean up is still underway, but I think it is slowly making progress. This tornado that touched down in Henryville also hit Pekin, Marysville, and few other isolated spots. A family of five was killed in Pekin, a mother had to have part of her legs amputated after hovering over her children to protect them, and there were several other injuries that were not reported...probably too numerous. Scary situation and yet, a miracle, that so many lives were spared. I still don't know how there were not more fatalities...yet so thankful.

The community has been amazing with so much donated, so many hands to assist with clean up, organization, etc. Chelsey took off work for several days just to help out in her church and to put her administrative skills to work. She is so good at that stuff. :) 

I just don't want to forget this day...don't want to forget the loss that families are feeling, having lost everything...don't want to forget how close it was, and yet how good God is even in the midst of the storm.