More tornado stuff

[bekindtostrangers]

NWS confirmed today that it was an EF5 (winds in excess of 200mph). A friend of mine sent me a video that her cousin had shot from his front yard. This is facing Parkersburg, so this is right as it's forming before it heads for the town. It takes a long while to load and make sure you have your volume on. 

http://app4.websitetonight.com/projects/3/2/4/5/32459/uploads/100_0401.wmv

Here's some still pictures:
http://picasaweb.google.com/generaldcmills/ParkersburgTornado/photo#s5204893272879008178

You can see the dichotomy...and I think that's what I'm struggling with most...seeing one of these aerial shots, seeing it on Monday, and seeing how just...utterly devastated one part of town is...and then you go three blocks and you would never have known there was ever a storm. It's awe-inspiring. Just makes you utterly speechless. I mean...I've lived in the Midwest nearly all my life. I've seen funnel clouds, I've seen tornadoes, I've seen the resulting damage. But never anything like this before.

All it does is make me more freaked out, living out in the country. In fact, the town I live in is about 300 people smaller than Parkersburg, surrounded by open corn and bean fields. Greeeeat.

Anyway, I went down to New Orleans after Katrina to help a bit with the relief effort (I'm a Red Cross volunteer, if you couldn't tell?) but even that...is, you know, two or three days of sustained damage, flooding... this is...this is a force of nature that was on the ground for less than ten minutes as it went through Parkersburg and wiped out homes...and I mean that quite literally; some homes were wiped clean down to the foundation, with not a single thing left in the yard. So scary to think how quickly it can all change.

Comments

[shutterloubug.livejournal.com]

It is unbelievably scary. I mean, I've never had to deal with this sort of natural disaster before, never even really had to think about it..we're just lucky enough to not have that kind of weather here. It's hard to believe that something can wipe out a town in 5 minutes. I can't imagine what those people experience coming out of their basements, or coming back to town, and...seeing nothing where their house used to stand. The sheer power behind it really is awe-inspiring. It's frightening to think what nature can do.

[kephisos.livejournal.com]

This is where I'm thankful that weather in Britain is pretty much the same all the time. It rains. A lot.

[cordelia989.livejournal.com]

Wow... I had no idea that the tornadoes were so close to you. I'm so sorry that I didn't e-mail you sooner about this! I'm so glad that you're okay my dear! I always just listen for your town to make sure that you're okay! Because you being out in the middle of corn fields makes me nervous during the stormy time of the year. I love you so much and I have no idea what I'd do without you! Seriously.

Anyway, I'm glad you're okay! And I miss talking to you. You're my best friend and I haven't really talked to you in so long... It's sad! Seriously, there's tears in my eyes!

I LOVE YOU