When I wrote about all the activities the first part of March, I forgot to mention last week’s tornado! Imagine that! I guess that shows how crazy March has been if I can forget about a tornado.
So, last Friday. I had just finished frying Bill’s egg when he came out of the bedroom and said that the EBS (Emergency Broadcast System) had come on the TV and said tornado warning for Leon County. The warning stated that there was a tornado about 7 miles north of Woodville, in the south Tallahassee area, which is exactly where we are. It had been raining out, but suddenly it seemed as if the rain was coming down harder and the wind was blowing the trees about more fiercely. Bill looked out the window and said, “The sky has that funny green color. You better wake the boys and tell them to get away from their windows.” At about that time, the power went off!
So I went to wake the boys while Bill scooped up Miss Munchkin from her bed on the living room floor. We all met in the master bathroom, which we had decided when we first moved here would be the safest place in the event of a tornado. About the time the boys made it to the bathroom, it appeared as though the storm had passed. The rain quit and the wind quieted down. Our power was out an hour, but that seemed to be the only problem. Bill went to work, David headed to college, and we went on about our day.
Later, when I walked the dog, I only noticed one small area of the complex that had a lot of shredded leaves and twigs lying on the driveway. Bill said one street he takes in to work was littered with the same debris. And then we heard reports of damage in the Capitola area, which is about three miles from us. We figure the tornado must have been right about tree top level over us and then touched down later.
Here are some reports on the tornado:
- National Weather Service Forecast Office, Tallahassee, FL
Severe Weather of March 7, 2008 - Gainesville Sun
Tornadoes touchdown near Tallahassee - Tampa Bays Local News
Tornado touches down near Tallahassee
What a way for Miss Munchkin to wake up on her second birthday! Luckily, the rest of the day was uneventful.