Tornado Texting

Monday, May 20, 2013 

4:05 PM
Rachel (my sister):  Have you seen the tornadoes today?  They are going crazy.

4:44 PM
Jane:  Going to check them out now.  What will win?  The snakes and the cellar or the wind and the house?

Rachel:  Um, these are scary ones.  

Jane:  Where are you now?  Oh man.  Is your family all accounted for?

Rachel:  We are still good.  The north part of the ward and west part are in it now and no news yet.  It won't hit here for another hour.  Bert and Calder should be here by then.

Jane:  Ohhhh man.  We've turned on the news and will pray for you.  Please keep us posted.  I love you.

5:00 PM
Jane: (Text to Ray, Cali, Abe, Grace, Ty, Michelle, Joe, and Ande): Hey everybody. Aunt Rachel's family is in the paths of these terrible tornadoes. Please pray for them. I love you. 

5:15 PM
Jane: Are you in the cellar yet?

Rachel:  They say we have about 45 minutes so we will wait 30-40 more and then see if they are still on the ground.  Is it a bad sign when every horse you own is gathered in a circle by your gate and staring at you through the windows?  But I'm in my best shirt just in case everything else gets blown away.

Jane:  You're a wise woman besides beautiful.  Take your hard drive with you.

5:45 PM
Jane:  Any change?

7:10 PM
Jane:  Everything okay?

7:12 PM
Rachel:  So the sirens have stopped for now.  Cloud rotation but nothing touched down.  Probably have round two in a bit and then another round in the night.  But all is good.  Thanks.

Jane:  Thanks for the updates.  It appears our prayers created an updraft as they went heavenward?

8:10 PM
Rachel:  We have one on the ground but we are pretty sure its going north of us by Caddo (15 miles).

Justin (Rachel's son in California):  But . . . You ARE in the cellar right?

Jane:  Bert's home right?

Rachel:  Yes, Bert is home. 

Rachel:  Ha.  Nope.  Dad's still holding out . . . 

Jane:  Ande says, "Wait, we're trusting the man who gets struck by lightning?" (Bert was struck in a storm last year.)

Justin:  Yeah, well, just remind him who the one struck by lightning was . . . 

Jane:  Justin and Ande be mates.

Rachel:  Hahaha.  Good point.  I'll tell him as soon as he gets done snoring.  It's my watch but every time I make the decision or hear the sirens he wakes up just enough to nix it, but not enough to get scared.  I don't know why I take a turn at watch at all . . . it's not like I can go without him. 

Rachel:  We're good now.  Dang.  He was right again.

Jane:  I like it when he's right.


Tuesday, May 21, 2013 

4:11 AM
Jane:  How's your day looking?

Rachel:  It might be a long one . . . or it might be nothing.  I'll call you.

8:16 AM
Rachel:  Today is supposed to be worse for our area than yesterday.  Its going to track right along the Red River.  If we get anything we expect it between 2-7.

12:21 PM
Jane:  Anything yet?  Where are you now?

Rachel:  We are under tornado watch, flood warning, and thunderstorm warning but it should be done by 8.

3:16 PM
OK I think we are just about done witht he severe weather.  Just thunderstorms now.  I don't know how long it will take to get power back, but what I'm really counting down to is Bert getting home to take over playing Battleship and Chutes and Ladders with Hy.

Jane:  The presence of a man who lives through a strike of lightning and can sleep through tornado sirens should not be underestimated.  Glad the crisis is past.  I love you.