The last time I remember taking shelter from a tornado, I was in Elementary school in Abilene. Our house was about 2 blocks from ACU's campus and the news was reporting a funnel cloud over it. My brothers, the dog and I huddled into a closet under the stairs that was crammed with our board games and vhs tapes. I remember crying as I was in their with them and looking out to see my Mom on the front porch with the neighbors "keeping watch" or really just looking for the funnel. I was terrified for my Mom.
A few nights ago Drew and I came home totally exhausted from our work days after a long weekend. We decided to go to bed early, like 8. As we settled into bed we started watching more closely the storm off to the west that was moving slowly toward us. There were of course reports of lots of hail and some funnel clouds. I couldn't sleep and stayed up for the next 3 hours watching it creep closer and closer. Finally at about 10:45 the Storm crept in close to Amarillo, with reports of tornadoes on the ground. When the weather man told "those of you in Amarillo, start collecting your valuables and preparing your 'safe places of shelter'" it was time to get serious! Drew had snoozed and awoken only when the thunder made me jump to comfort me and fall back to sleep. I grabbed our marriage certificate, my laptop and harddrive with all my photos on it, and tucked my camera into a padded and safe closet. I gathered all the pillows I could find and threw them into the bathtub with some blankets. I changed thinking, "What clothes will I want to be in if everything else is blown away" all the while my husband was asleep. I also grabbed the dog's leashes so they would be easier to handle if our house blew down around us.
When the storm starting hitting I finally woke him up. Cooper started pacing anxiously around the house. Hail the size of a ping pong ball began to beat down on our house and finally the tornado sirens went off. SCARY! I grabbed both dogs and headed for the tub. Trying to get me, them and Drew all in was a joke. We have big dogs! He decided that should a tornado hit he would jump on us like a human shield.
We listened as the hail beat down, and rain poured. The dogs were nervous and Cooper would not let me out of his sight. I think I called Nana 4 times that night, scared for them, scared for us.
Luckilly the storm blew right through town leaving only hail damage behind. I am sick about my flowerbed that I had worked so hard on that is now absolutely demolished. But I am grateful no lives were lost and all my loved ones were safe!
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