Otis’s Tornado Dream by theakingsley
When I think of whirlwind romance, it isn’t roses and chocolate that come to mind.
Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve had an eerie fascination with tornadic skies. My earliest memory is taking cover in the downstairs teachers’ lounge in kindergarten. By second grade, I attended my first tornado seminar in Kansas City. I’ve spent many, many childhood springs glued in front of the television the moment Bryan Busby broadcasted a tornado watch on Channel 9.
It must be my “Midwestern thing”.
Nate and the Tornado Notecard by DavidNilesPhoto
It’s a fascination that has persisted well into adulthood. You could say that I’m permanently scarred from the bite of the meteorological bug. In my twenties, I became a volunteer spotter for the National Weather Service in Topeka. Even though weather technology has taken most of the mystery out of tornadoes, I remain mesmerized nonetheless.
My weather radio, though quiet nine months of the year, sends a shrilling serenade of warnings every spring. Sometimes the music is relentless. Other times it’s quiet for days and days. But when she sings, she SINGS.
And then I turn to Jello.
There Is Dark and There Is Light Art Print by Amy Marx
Two years ago this week, a very large EF-4 tornado struck Manhattan, Kansas around ten-thirty at night. Terrifying? You bet. I turned to Jello once again and my dog, Blaster, threw up all over the place. The adrenaline rush of an unseen tornado felt like I was riding an out-of-control rollercoaster with a broken seatbelt. It inflicted a great deal of damage to a narrow swath of Manhattan, but thankfully, no one was hurt and the community recovered fairly quickly.
You’d think that a close call like this would change my outlook on tornadoes. Not me. I remain hopeful that one will touch down during the day so I can snap a photo or two. But that would take bravado I don’t have, lucky timing, a decent radar system, and full coverage on my Honda Civic. The next best thing would be one of those tornado chase vacations.
I suppose if I don’t get to see one with my own two eyes, I can always live vicariously through some crazy amateur’s Youtube tornado video.
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Twitter: marmalademoon
says:
These images are – amazing! Really eerie! And just about as close as I could bear to be to a tornado! Good thing there are online tornado spotters these days?
The images are just awesome…as are your words.
I don’t know how I would fare with a Tornado. I hope I don’t have to find out!
Twitter: simpinvcards
says:
@Kate – they are amazing and I was quite surprised at how few of these are on Etsy. Hmm…maybe I should turn out some tornado cards? <:-)
@Jo Anna – I hope you don't have to find out either. But, if you're ever curious, I can recommend some great YouTube videos!
Wow! Just reading your post made my heart flutter!
My dad is really into weather phenomenon so the obsession is something I grew up one generation away from. As soon as a storm is on the way, my dad has on his weather radio and police scanner to monitor what’s going on in the area related to the storm. It’s very exciting to sit in the dark when the electricity goes off and still have access to the outside world and our general area’s goings-on.
Now, he’s pretty much moved into earthquakes… probably back from the years when my husband and I lived in Las Vegas. He hated us being so close to LA, which he swears will break off into the ocean in upcoming years. Whenever I hear about an earthquake anywhere in the world, I am on the phone with him seeing if he had heard about it yet.
I hope you get to see a funnel cloud and take some pictures one day but I hope you’re in a car faster than your Honda Civic! Snap, snap, snap and hit the gas, sister!
Twitter: simpinvcards
says:
@Jenny – My little Honda handles GREAT! The only problem is it totaled out from a hail storm the week before that tornado hit, so I don’t think the full coverage is ever going to happen. But you are right about one thing – I’m the Chihuahua of storm spotters: I would take 3 quick snaps before running like hell!!!
Twitter: artyowza
says:
I’m a mid-westerner living in California.
My family lives in Kansas and Oklahoma.
I’ve always been fascinated with storm shelters on the farm and safe
rooms in the city
My Mom lives in Tulsa and she often calls me from the food pantry when
there is a storm.
I can hear her pull a coffee can off the top shelf. It’s full of
chocolate chips.
Those are her comforts during the storm: talking to me and little bits
of bittersweet.
I was thinking of some 1980’s speak…..
Tornadoes are so mind blowing-ly OOC!
(Out of Control)