My First Tornado?!?

I was surprised, last night, trying to get out of Fenton, Michigan. Every direction I traveled was blocked by trees down--including a few very large trees--and there were cables down everywhere, and large puddles. It took about forty minutes to find a way out of that small town.

When I got home, I heard on the news that we had had a tornado.

I was in Fenton in the back yard of two men who are having a commitment ceremony today. Friends and family were putting up tents, setting up tables and a bar, unpacking bags and boxes of bows. This will be a grand and friendly wedding!

I was going over the order of things with the grooms, assuring myself that the readers they had selected would be prepared, trying o be sure I had the right name for the right mom. As I was going over my "stand tall, proud and expectant, but don't lock your knees, or you might faint" advice, dark clouds moved in, and the wind started to pick up. Just as a friend was finishing tying off the smaller tent. Then the rain started, quickly becoming a donpour. Lighting began to flash, and then the direns began.

Tornado!

I've heard the sirens before. They are tested on the first Saturday of the month)I think) at 1:00 p.m., ad the first time I heard them I had to ask. Since then, I've heard them on a couple of occasions, most recently at a spring Board meeting at the church. (I discovered that the pantry between the kitchen and the large store room is the tornado safety spot in the church.) But last night was the first time that I was in an unfamiliar locale, and away from the mile between my home and the church.

We ignored the sirens for a few minutes, sitting in the large tent and avoiding the torrents. The sky lightened up substantially, and the rain slowed a little bit, even as the wind picked up. And so we ran for the house and went in just as the electricity failed.

Down in the basement, we walked out to the garage, where we had a view of things blowing around in the driveway and side yaard, even as we were unable to close the electrically operated garage doors. Things were blowing around, the rain was coming and going, and the lightning was erratic and powerful. And then it was over.

The guys really needed to figure out what they'd have to do today if the power were not restored, and we had covered just about everything I needed to go over with them; so I left.

The large trees uprooted, the enormous metal and concrete signs that had been lifted, the people coming out of their houses and shaking their heads as they walked around, the ominous looking power lines hanging from tree limbs or lying in the puddles that I felt I neded to avoid . . . it was shocking and surreal.

Thnakfully, while there was significant damage to some homes and businesses, there were few reported injuries, and no fatalities. Still, the power is down for a few hundred homes in Fenton (as well as in other parts of Genesee County), and I haven't yet checked with the men about their status. I'll find out this afternoon!

I'm hearing noise on the street. The Crim must be starting soon. (My first as a spectator, I'm not quite yet ready to run.) Some rain outside, fully overcast. Supposed to clear up by noon.

Good morning