The Tornado Down The Street

Last Friday started out as just another normal Friday. I was working from home, while my wife and our two kids were at their respective schools/daycare. It had been a fairly quiet day, apart from the snoring of our dogs as I sat by the work computer. But the weather forecast had predicted there might be severe weather, and this time they were 100% correct.

Around 2:00 the tornado sirens started going off. So of course, I went outside to have a look. But I was also listening to a live broadcast from KTHV on my phone, and they were talking about a possible large tornado that was moving through the far-western reaches of Little Rock. I headed inside and gathered the dogs, and then hurried into our safe spot. It was there that I received a scary notification on my phone, that stated: "Emergency Alert. National Weather Service: TORNADO EMERGENCY until 3:15 PM CDT. Tornado spotted in this area. This is a life-threatening situation. Take shelter now in a basement or interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. If you are outdoors, in a mobile home, or in a vehicle move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris."

The dogs and I sat in the closet as the lights flickered a few times, and then we sat in darkness as the electricity went out. The live broadcast I was watching on my phone stopped, and I couldn't get it to restart. I guess because the oncoming tornado took out the cell phone towers.

As we sat in the dark, the storm outside raged on. I heard nothing but heavy rain hitting the house, and tried to get any updates. My phone would still get texts, and what I got was disturbing. In a panic, my Sister-In-Law wrote that the meteorologists on KATV said that the storms had passed over both Baptist Hospital (which is right next to Elliott's daycare) and through our neighborhood.

The tornado turned out to be an EF-3 rated tornado with winds over 165 miles an hour, which touched down in Little Rock and left a 32 mile-wide path of destruction that stretched across the city and then into North Little Rock, Sherwood and Jacksonville. Our neighborhood was indeed hit hard by the storm. But when I stepped outside I was shocked. Somehow, our house was fine. Somehow, there was no damage. The storm didn't even knock limbs from the trees. The storm didn't even budge Jonah's trampoline in our backyard.

But just down the road, things were tragically different. The rampaging tornado ripped the roof off of houses, toppled trees and demolished buildings. There was so much destruction. In an instant, so many people's lives were changed. I stood outside, and listened as the tornado siren was replaced by the wail of ambulance, fire and police sirens that lasted for hours.

Caroline picked up the kids, who were both OK. The tornado knocked out power at Elliott's daycare but they didn't get any damage. Jonah's school wasn't in the path of the storm, but they had everyone shelter in place. Caroline works at a school, and she was on tornado duty while the sirens were going off. She had to keep the kids calm, and then had to remain calm herself while receiving texts saying that our neighborhood was in the path of the storm. It took her almost three hours to make it home, because so many of the streets around us were blocked by debris or rescue vehicles. Since the power here was going to be out for awhile, we packed up the kids and some supplies and drove off to Searcy to stay with family.

On Sunday, I drove back to Little Rock to check on the house and to get a few things. Along the way I passed by the area that was damaged by the tornado, and it was emotionally devastating to see the damage in person. The grocery store by our house had significant damage. The great little hibachi restaurant next door to it was gone. Our bank took damage. People we know in our neighborhood lost their houses. Others had severe roof damage. I feel guilty still that we were ok while others lost so much. The tornado took a path with little concern or care for the people or places in its way.

I took a few pictures with my phone, but they don't really convey the damage caused by the tornado.







It took several days, but our power has been restored. It's the first step in things getting back to normal, although that path will be long one for so many people.



I was hesitant to take these photos, and especially to post them. I'm heartbroken for those who lost their homes, especially since ours was spared the wrath of the storm. Since Friday I've lost sleep while thinking about what could have been. What if the tornado had hit Elliott's daycare? Or Jonah's school? What it the tornado hit our house? My sympathies go out to all the people who are currently living through everyone else's worst case scenarios.