After the storms last night it feels like we dodged the proverbial bullet. Storms blasted through Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, and several other states bringing rain, lightning, hail, and tornadoes. It was not a restful evening by any means but we prepared for it. We used our closet under the stairs for a safety spot and stocked it with a few important things like a blanket, a change of clothes, some water, a cell phone, and our important records. Did we overreact? Probably not. According to the news broadcast this morning over sixty tractor trailers toppled on the interstates. Twenty four people in our state were killed. Five people were killed in Sumner county. Sumner county isn't near us but homes were flattened in Williamson County which is. Tennesseans all over the state were affected and West Tennessee received much of the damage last night. Union University in Jackson, TN lost several dorms and was very fortunate to escape with no fatalities. One of my wife's cousins attends Union and was in her dorm when it was decimated. She was able to take shelter in an internal bathroom and aside from being distraught she was fine.
We were on the outer edge of the storms. The tornado producing cells came earlier in the evening and went north of us. We were watching the weather at two in the morning and lost a little sleep but nothing else. I can look out our window and see no damage in our yard and think of all those people affected last night. We are very lucky to have dodged this bullet.Labels: random thoughts, weather