We are having our annual VBS at church this week -- quite a big affair with all the school-aged children in their Sunday School rooms, the pre-schoolers in the fellowship hall with babysitters, and all adults in the church. We have guest speakers each evening. Our speaker tonight was Ken Hoerr from Peoria.
As Ken was speaking, the lightly rumbling thunder increased in intensity with some pretty good booms, the lights flickered a few times but never went out. Finally Roger Stoller came barging in from the hallway and said "Excuse me, will everyone please go to their designated shelter areas, there are tornadoes spotted north of town and we need to take shelter." You never saw so many old, feeble people move so fast in your life!
Fortunately, for the last two years, we have had "tornado drills" so everyone knows where to go. Can you see the problem though, as small children were accross the parking lot, children in the ss rooms, etc? We went on in the babyroom - our designated area and waited. About 10 minutes later, they informed us that there was another batch of stormy clouds to the west of town, but we could come out if we wanted to but may have to return to shelter later.
While everyone stayed calm, and I don't know what happened outside the babyroom, it was quite an ending to a nice evening. They did eventually serve the snacks, but many had gotten their kids and left. We noticed as we left the babyroom that there were a lot of people standing in the doorways trying to see the funnel clouds! Oh well!
That was at about 8:30, it is almost 10 now and I believe the threat of tornadoes has passed, but we are still having a thunderstorm and heavy rain.
Probably turn off this computer before the power goes out.
12 comments:
Yes, very interesting. Gridley seems to have its share of tornadoes. Especially on Wednesday nights. Tonight must have been reminiscent of April 27th of 1989 when Gridley church was also interrupted with a huge tornado that took down the "Dave & Judy" barn. It was when Ralph Schlipf came barging in and yelled "We're having a tornado and I mean NOW!"
Perhaps Nog Blog can describe that evening again for us, since she was there and it affected our family's property so directly. Glad, Ada, that you and Jerry and everyone survived it well tonight. Tonight's TV "news at 10" had a picture of the funnel cloud at Gridley. Storms are no fun.
Cleve & Kathleen
We in Bloomington also had to evacuate the lunch room and go to the Sunday School hallways and inner rooms, although it was relatively quiet outside where we were. The fact that they were calling "warnings" warranted the evacuation as you can't pick and choose which storm warnings you can ignore with a crowd like that. Gridley does seem to be in a "tornado alley." I remember well the evening in 89 when they evacuated the assembly room in Grldley church and we all went to the Sunday School area...except for those who dashed out the door to "hurry home" or stood at the doors like Ada said and looked for the funnels. It is interesting to see a crowd react to a situation like that...some ashen-faced and praying, doing exactly what they are told, and others in total disregard to any danger.
When we got close to home that night it was very dark, but I could see that the neighbors across the street from us had house damage and a lot of debri in their yard. I said,"What is all that junk in their yard!" When I looked at our place, I could see that it was our barn fragments, scattered all over the neighborhood. It was quite a neighborhood event getting it all cleaned up and by the next afternoon we had a big bonfire burning what was able to be gathered up, along with whatever was left of that big beautiful barn. We had quite a crowd, served a big lunch, had radio interviews...we have good videos of the whole thing.
Unlike those in the South, we are ready for the rain to halt for at least a good 10 days so we can dry out and get the crops in the ground and growing. What a wet Spring!
Tornado storms are unnerving to say the least. Twice in the last year we have been prepared to take cover in our clothes closet.
Latest was in April when I was awake and at the computer about 2:30AM. Shortly thereafter, I heard in the far distance the warning sirens. I thought: There must be a significant storm way out there so I turned on the TV and learned that the tornado warnings were for a storm about 15 miles SW of our home in Decatur. So I awakened Mim; we got fully dressed and ready to hunker down. Well the storm moved about 15 miles away on both sides of us. But we were spared--thank you Lord.
There were three people killed including a 40 year old lady that we knew. Close--huh!
I remember being at Dave and Judy's once when there was softball sized hail so we were all outside looking at it. Then we saw a tornado coming from ElPaso, so we all went to the basement. I remember being really scared, and somebody (Cathy or Gloria maybe?) was leading prayer and songs to keep the kids calm. The best thing about it though was being in the boy's room (that bedroom in the basement) and finally being able see what was in there!
Angela, I think we were at that occasion also. I well remember the huge hail and going to the basement. If it's the same event, Uncle Ralph and Aunt Catherine were still living there at that time.
As mentioned on the other post--we'd give most anything for some rain in SC. The weatherman said today that we're down 12 inches. Nothing in sight.
I was thinking later that it was probably when Ralph and Catherine lived there. Also, by the way, there must not have been anything of note in the boy's bedroom, because I don't remember what I saw. It just was a thrill to go in there, but I wouldn't have dared to otherwise!
Angela, I remember going into that bedroom down there (when I wasn't supposed to) and I saw a CD player! They were brand new back then and I thought it was very cool!
I've enjoyed all the tornado stories. When I was in the third grade, I saw my first funnel cloud -- the teacher, Mrs. Seiberns, made us all get under our desks. I was very impressed.
I also remember the day at Ralph's house and seeing many funnel clouds and the big hail - I think we took some of the big balls home and put them in the freezer. Don't remember anything about the "boys" room!
I well remember the tornado that took down the barn. But the lesson that remains with me to this day is that Dad was certain we were going to clean up the neighbors yards (Burke's, Wells, Boyd's and others) before/while we cleaned up the barn from ours. Another interesting fact, that was the second barn built there. The first one was taken down by a tornado some 50 years or so earlier.
Also, I think that Angela and Staci remember two seperate events in the Boy's room. I remember going into that room when Grandma and Grandpa lived there during a storm. As I remember it, there was an old man's head/face behind curtains in the old covered up window. Later when we lived there, I made that into my bedroom right before I graduated high school. The CD player Staci saw was mine. For the first few years we lived there, I was scared to go into that back room because I could still see the old man's head in the window. Does anybody else remember that?
I don't remember the head in the window...must have been a product of Stan or David's creativity. I don't remember if they ever used that room for a bedroom, but later Dad had an office down there.
When we lived in the house, Casey came running up yelling, "There's a RAT in the basement!" I went down and there was a regular little mouse in a trap. Casey kept insisting it was a rat, and I told him several times not to tell anyone that we had a rat in our basement.
Also, there was a hidden room under the basement stairs. When we moved the boys struggled a long time to get into that room, sure there was something of value or excitement to be found, but as I remember it there was nothing there...was there, Eric?
By the way, it is pouring down rain againt his morning.
It is interesting that although we live in "Tornado Alley", the only real tornado I have actually seen was at Ralph and Catherine's house on that summer day years ago (late sixties or early seventies?). Of course we don't know what tornados might occur in our future. Mim
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