Total devastation are the two words that keep entering my mind as I continue to see so many terrible and heart wrenching pictures/video come across the internet and news wires.
Let’s set up this scenario for my family. I am out of state in New Orleans helping build a playground for a group of kids with Kaboom. I began to receive text messages, phone calls and voice mails alerting me that I need to check in back home as there is a tornado heading right for our area. I tried to call my hubby, but he would not answer so I just begin to start freaking out. My wonderful boss who I am so very thankful for, talks me down and says everything is going to be okay Jen. Just keep calm. I go back to building a picnic table. Finally, my hubby calls me and in the meantime, I receive another text that the tornado is right at our home. I tell hubby get the girls and go take cover. Right, then on the television comes up our exact address the tornado is going to hit to take shelter NOW. Our girls and hubby immediately go into the bathtub to take cover.
Hubby says our youngest daughter L, was so silent. She would not talk at all. It breaks my heart knowing that I could not be there to comfort the girls but I am so proud of my hubby for staying so strong. Hubby said the walls were shaking and our oldest daughter M said mommy it felt like a earthquake. I am so grateful to say that my family is all safe. We did lose power for a couple of days and lost all our food in the two freezers and fridge, but I could honestly care less. I have my family and so many more families lost so much more. Please keep them in your prayers.
As soon as hubby picked me up from the airport, we went riding down our road. The sights I saw, I could not believe my eyes. Our apartment manager said he could not believe how the tornado just skipped over our apartments without doing devastating damage. Look at these pictures at the end of our road and a couple from my girls’ school road.
And our part of town did not even get hit the worst and it still left this kind of damage. A whole mobile home park was completely destroyed in which it killed 3 small children and one was still holding a flashlight. It chokes me up each time, I hear this. So so so sad!
Three of the food banks here in my city serve the areas that were hit the hardest by these tornadoes. They really do need our help. To help now, donate by clicking this link. If you can help volunteer to help in the communities that were hit, Raleigh has a page on how you can help.
Nanette ~ AMomBlog says
I am so glad you are all safe. I can’t even imagine how scary that must have been for you to be away from them at that time. And how terribly frightening that must have been for hubby and the girls.
(((HUGS)))
Michelle says
That is really scary. I can’t believe the size of those trees, just snapped like toothpicks. Glad to hear that everyone is safe and sound, but it must have terrifying.
Deana says
My heart goes out to you all. There is nothing more scary, especially for kids, than the sound (and the devastation) of a tornado.