Thursday, January 10, 2008

It's a twister Auntie Em!

How was my day today you ask?

So I'm heading down I-5 from Kalama, Washington about noonish today. I had just completed an inspection and was heading back to Oregon. The rain was steadily getting stronger. I pulled over and text Sue to tell her that it was raining buckets O' water. I got back onto the freeway and headed South again. The rain was picking up even more. And in the distance I could see lightening and heard it crackling through the radio. The sky was wierd. Kind of a dark blueish color. You could see the storm. Almost as if I was driving into it.
And then I realized that I was. The rain turned even more powerfull. My wipers were going full speed and it wasn't keeping up. The lightening was more intense and then I noticed the hail. Monster hail. Like the size of marbles. Honestly, I thought my windshield would break. The visibility was no more than 50', if that. The entire I-5 stopped. Good thing.
The hail was so loud that it sounded like a million drumsticks banging on the car. And it had covered the ground what looked like at least an inch. Luckily for me, there was an offramp. So I got off and crawled away to the side.
About this time, I turned the radio back on, since I had turned it off because I couldn't hear it anyway through the hail.
And what did I hear? A stinking tornado had just touched down right where I was. It ended up ripping up houses, trees and flipping semi trucks.
I was Ok although a bit freaked out.
I waited a while before heading back onto the road.
Oh my God! I had just missed a tornado. Or it had just missed me. Right here in the Northwest.
That's what I did today.

9 comments:

Haley said...

OH my lord!!!! i would have flipped out!!!!! i thought we were safe in the northwest. great!

glad your safe dad...

Sarah said...

I was watching the news when it was all happening. I can't believe you were IN it! That's awesome!!! I must admit I'm a little jealous. Glad you're ok though!

Mac said...

Freaked me out!

Susie Q said...

Steebur...

Nicole said...

OMG Uncle Jim!!! I'm so glad you are safe and sound but wow! How flippin scary!!!! Good thought about getting off the freeway and just waiting. I hate driving in bad weather.

Emily said...

I'm so glad you were ok - but seriuosly what a cool story!! :)

I told Jon about it the next day- the poor guy didn't even know there had been a tornado.....

Mac said...

Jon needs to get out more.

kara said...

i'm a little disappointed that no one/nothing was hurt. i mean...i don't actually want anyone to get hurt...but at the same time, what kind of twister doesn't at least take a cow with it, you know?

froelica said...

Sweeeeeeeet.