We were celebrating Sue Simpson's 89th birthday at the Caddo Cafe when the tornado siren went off. Sue is the matriarch of GlenMar Ranch in Caddo.
The Caddo Cafe has a television in one corner, and we all looked up as the newsman announced that a tornado had touched down west of us in Tishomingo, and was moving to the east.
Tornado Alley
Living as they do in "Tornado Alley," Oklahomans take these violent storms seriously. You didn't hear anyone in Oklahoma on the news saying "I couldn't believe that this could happen. It was like a movie."
I expect that's why so few lost their lives compared to the rest of the country as it moved east through Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina.
Still, we were fortunate to escape the path of the tornado. Caddo (on the map below) is just behind the announcer's clip-on microphone on his tie.
It's a birthday none of us will forget!
_____________________
I'm Mike in Tucson, your preferred Tucson Arizona Mortgage Lender.
NMLS #223495
SUNSTREET MORTGAGE llc ~ Correspondent Mortgage Bank
Offices (AZ) Mesa, Tucson, Sierra Vista, and Nogales.
Mike: Pretty scary stuff. So glad you all are alright. Take care...
Just wondering... what are you doing there, so far from Tucson ? They don't have tornadoes in Tucson, right ?
Karen Anne,
Thanks for being the first to comment! It was sobering, and the next morning I drove to Tushka (about 12 minutes north on 69/75) and photographed unbelieveable damage. I'll post about that soon.
Mike in Tucson
Great shot of the sky as the tornado went by. Bad for those who were in it's path.
YIKES!!! You'd better head west where the dear and the antelope roam. Sure hope you are having a great time, be safe.
Mike, I can personally relate.
Used to live in Tornado Alley (Independence, MO) back in May 1957. We were so used to the watches and warnings that we pretty much didn't really react. On May 20th, around dinner time we were watching the TV when the forecaster said there was a tornado on the ground in Kansas just west of where we lived in Missouri, and on a line...the path was aimed right at us!
We lived in the front part of a very old house, and the old part had one of those Wizard Of Oz storm cellars. We made haste to shelter. I kept forgetting things so went back upstairs twice. Dumb. The twister lifted up before it got too close to us, but we found several airborne samples from Kansas in our yard the next morning. And, yes, it did sound like a train, even up in the air.
Even after all this time it is still known as the Ruskin Heights tornado. Over 500 injured, 39+ killed. An F-5.
By the end of June, mom had packed up all of us, and moved back to Arizona. We had had just about enough of Tornado Alley.
Howdy and morning to you Mike
Mike, back home in Missouri I grew up in Tornado Alley. When I was a kid, my Dad would take me with him chasing Tornadoes. There was one time we seen 5 Tornadoes over a house, luckily none of them ended up touching down.
Have a good one
Dale in New Hampshire
You had an interesting childhood! I can relate; I love storms.
Jon,
I'm back home in Tucson this morning, and it's good to be home. Thanks for sharing your story.
Leolinda,
We're home safely, and blessed to be so.
Virginia,
I was struck by the beauty of the storm sky, even in the middle of a very real danger.
Mike in Tucson
Mike, you are very welcome. I was quite concerned when I first saw this post, and you in the middle of Tornado Alley. Glad you're ok. Now you're back home, and the only tornadoes you have to contend with are named Brewer and Sheriff Joe ! LOL.
Mike, that was some shot. How many did you have to take to get that great one? Tornado Alley started early this year.
Mike - a great shot! It is amazing and terrifying that this year's storms have been so deadly!
Saturday evening from about 7:00 to 7:30 p.m., the tornado warnings kept BUZZING loudly on my TV. It lasted until about 7:35 p.m.
We had a severe thunder storm but no tornadoes.
It was a vicious storm. I can't imagine living in an area where they are frequent.
That first picture is really intense. Not sure I have seen anything like it--ever.
I grew up in Southwest Oklahoma and have a great respect for these storms. We were in Wichita Falls, TX in 1979 when three tornadoes became one and darn near wiped out the city. That is one scary picture. Glad you are ok.
My wife resided in Kentucky for the past eight months with many tornado warnings. They can do home damage. Did you blow out the candles?
Mike, I'm glad you and your family are safe. That photo is wild!!
Juli,
Isn't that an unusual sky?
Harry,
They sure can! I don't know what you mean by the candle reference.
Jeanne,
I'll bet you have some stories!
Melissa,
I have more, and I'll post them later.
Lenn,
I'm glad it missed you!
Barbara-Jo,
That they have!
Don,
Eleven. The lightning was frequent.
Karen-Anne,
Thanks for your comment, and for the one on Facebook. See you next time.
Mike in Tucson
I can't imagine what that would be like as I've never experienced anything quite similar to a tornado. The ominous sky is quite a sight.
It was a horrible day in Raleigh on Saturday as well, which is very uncommon to have a tornado go through our immediate area. I took some video and pictures of the aftermath (on my blog in AR), and it was just heartbreaking to see what happend a couple of blocks from where I live.
Wow......that is scary.....I can't imagine going through one of those...here in the Pacific Northwest, about all we hae to worry about is a volcano going off every 100-500 years.....(ok, we have to worry about the big earthquake someday too...)...
Glad to hear you are okay and the birthday girl got to reach another year.
Wow, the lightening strikes and clouds make for a good picture but the reality of the situation is anything but.
Stunningly beautiful sky....and so grateful that you are alright. Very dangerous! I know many have been devastated by this and it's just so sad.
It seems the missing of the tornado was a present in itself
Great photo to boot
Enjoy the day
We had a mess in Raleigh! It was QUICK, and it was broadcast everywhere too. We did the Bathroom huddle. Tons of Insulation, kind of rained.
Scary experience, I'm sure. My brother's mother-in-law lost her home to a tornado as it passed through Laurel, Maryland, a few years ago. It was the same one that touched down at University of Maryland and plucked a car with two students right out of the parking lot, killing them both. Ironically, their dad worked for the University's rescue fire service and was a first responder.
I was on the phone with our best friends who live betwen Caddo and Atoka. It was a very scary and deadly evening. Tornadoes are one of the things I don't miss about living in the south.
My friend I am glad that you all are alright. I can only imagine the racing hearts and the increase in blood pressure with all that weather going on around you.
Glad to read your safe...never been through a tornado..just a few earthquakes...
Thta was pretty scarey watching all the newscasts. I have family in Alabama but luckily it stayed clear of their area.
Now that was one scary tornado.. I grew up in Ok and I take those funnel clouds seriously.
I guess they are saying there are more coming for the next few weeks... too scary for me!
All,
Thanks for your comments! It was a mess, and like Doreen said, it's just the beginning of the season.
Mike in Tucson
WOW Mike ... What a great cloud & lightning capture! Tornado's are very destructive and back in 1965 when I was a kid 13 tornado's rolled through our neighborhood picking up homes along the way, it is a memory that I will never forget! Congrats on the feature from AR and your post has been also featured at one of my favorite groups at AR ...
CLOUDS AT ACTIVERAIN (clouds attached)
Vegas Bob ;o)
Vegas Bob,
Thanks for the feature! We were blessed to be just south of where it touched down.
Mike in Tucson
Mike, Glad all was well with you and the people you were with. We had warnings come up on our TV for the first time ever that I can remember a few weeks back, but nothing materialized luckily. I could not imagine living in the potential path of twisters. Give me gobs of snow any day.
Gloria