The Power of Nature ...Today I took Sanaa home after school and driving to her house was like driving through the aftermath of a tornado. The limbs and fallen trees lay scattered in every yard. Seeing the rubble first hand explains why some families are still without power. Powerlines are still down and roads are still being cleared and the storm hit on Sunday....
The last time I was in this neighborhood I was witness to something very similar....
I was tutoring Spanish to Cory Piette. I taught with his father years ago at Randallstown. Anyway, Cody and I were at their house and the wind started blowing really hard. I don't remember now what urged us outdoors but we went and the wind was so strong it whipped up a pinecone and spit it at Cory hard enough to draw blood. That sort of freaked Cody out so we all went inside. The wind really picked up and Craig said these words ... "with all the rain we've had it wouldn't be surprising if a few trees come down." Well the universe heard what he said and acted upon it. Not even 30 seconds later we heard ...
BAM!!!
CRACK!!!
SCREECH!!!
lights out.
A few trees turned out to be 7 trees and one of them went right through the roof and into the master bedroom. Cody clung to me and buried his face into my side. He was certain that the house was going to get lifted up, spun around, and tossed into a place where we were would be face to face with a wicked witch and some flying monkies. I was a little freaked out too but this was his first major storm. His fear was valid. But soon that fear became irrational and if his hair even so much as moved from the wind he would start pounding me with questions about tornados. It took me about 6 months to get him over his fear of the wind.
What is it about that neighborhood and wind and uprooted trees? I was compelled to take pictures and was reminded of the powerful hand of nature that can come crashing down without much warning. But heed this warning - if a pinecone is ever hurled at you by the wind, take cover, and watch out for falling trees.
I've had a very similar experience with Cameron, my oldest son. Back in late May 2004, his mom was driving him to Kincheloe from our house on Twin Lakes Road, just south of Dutch Settlement, when the really bad storms hit. The sky went green, there was a small tornado (though the Weather Service didn't agree, WSBT Stormtracker showed rotation), and the large tree across from the school was blown down. Cameron said the van was rocking in the wind very hard. They picked up Camille from the school and returned home, to find that the power was out, and would stay out for the next four days.
ReplyDeleteTo this day, Cameron is alternately excited and scared about any severe weather watches or warnings near us. I have this vision of him becoming a storm chaser or a meteorologist someday because of it. Who knows? :)