We had some excitement yesterday. My husband called from work and told me that a tornado had touched down in Arlington and that it was predicted to be in our area in fifteen minutes. Now there was a day when I would have not worried about it, but with tornadoes wreaking havoc and destruction all over the country and with a house full of my most treasured kiddos, I flew into high gear. In ten minutes I had thrown enough stuff out of our hall closet under the stairs that we would all fit. I told the kids to grab their pillows and one toy, grabbed my phone, laptop, and camera and we all hunkered down.
The kids thought it was, “Very fun and a little scary.”
As we sat there the light flickered off and the internet went down on my laptop. I could hear the tornado sirens. Then came the loud pounding on the roof. I tried to call my husband, but the phone didn’t work. We prayed, and we waited. And then it stopped. All was still. I could still hear the sirens so I told the kids to stay put as I ventured out of the closet to look around. A few minutes later the sirens stopped and my reluctant kids came out of our hide out.
The hail was really thick in places and sparse in others, but there was definitely golf ball size hail scattered around the yard.
A Ritz cracker was the fastest thing I could find for perspective. I told my husband on the phone afterward that we had golf ball size hail. He said, “Uh huh.” I put this one in the freezer to show him when he got home. He couldn’t believe it! Now why wouldn’t he have believed me? I don’t exaggerate do I?
The clan is looking forward to the next tornado…as long as it doesn’t destroy the house! I’m not sure what kind of damage we had to the van and roof, but they’re not worried about that!
I’m linked with Time Warp Wife.
Oh scary! That is so seriously crazy hail. The worst hail storm I remember was actually near Dallas. Freshman year of college driving back to Waco from a Pink Floyd concert (my first concert). We had to pull over under an underpass and wait it out.
Glad you were all ok.
My husband never believes me, either.
So thankful you are ok! That would be sooo scary..like you said with all the tornados the country has been having 🙁 Thank you Lord!
I’m relieved you and all my family and friends in the area are safe so far. The hail is pretty unbelievable except that we keep hearing about it and know the stories are true. My sister’s granddaughter and her four kids made it through in a trailer house. I always worry about those.
Wow. Glad everyone there is OK.
We moved to Wichita KS over 3 years ago now and the first week we got here at 1am in the morning in December (highly unseasonal) there was a Tornado watch. Aaagh. Now I come from the UK and I have never seen lightning or storms as strong as they grow on the great plains here. You can see clouds going up to 50,000 feet sometimes.
Does make for interesting weather, though, and it can change in 10 minutes.
The first March we were here? On Callie’s birthday (March 27th) we had a 4 hour hailstorm. Swiftly followed by a 13 hour ice storm, plus blizzard. Two days later, back to 65 degrees and all the snow gone, spring weather.
I remember my husband opening the back door and there was a frame of ice (that was ON the back door) just standing there by itself. OMG.
Going to the middle of a one-story house is definitely advisable. We have a basement room that we hide in, including the dog. Shoes and bike helmets also a good idea, funny as it sounds.
It’s been 10 years since a big tornado hit anywhere really close to Wichita…just goes to show though, we cannot predict mother nature.
Great pics, thanks! And so glad all are OK.
Sarah
A Mom On A Spiritual Journey
Thank goodness you’re all safe. We’ve had more tornadoes than usual in out area already this year, and it’s scary stuff. I have one weather-shy dog who’s learned to let himself into the basement even if we don’t go!
Vans and roofs can be fixed. You guys are okay and that’s what really matters! 🙂
Cool, a little adventure to blog about! Now that doesn’t come around every day! And the kids will have something to talk about for weeks!
Scary! Glad you are all ok. That hail is huge!
Glad your okay!
How exciting! I don’t know many people in Dallas, but I wondered about you. We actually had some serious hail in my corner of Houston, but it didn’t hit the whole town and we obviously didn’t have any tornadoes! I’m so glad you guys are all okay!
So glad you are all ok! That is some serious hail! Wow!
You sure have an adorable family! Bless You!!
Forest Rose
i’m so glad your family is safe. I am from Dallas too so it was surreal to see the tornadoes in the sky. I love to hear the stories of faith as a mom and her two sons ran to a bathtub when they saw the tornado coming. They picked the one wall standing next to the bathroom as they home was leveled to the ground.
We had a scary time last year when we all experienced our 1st earthquake. Very rare in our area. So glad to hear that all is well that ends well. ;0)
That piece of hail is HUGE! That must have been quite a racket! I’m glad you all survived the storm!
Tornados have freaked me out my entire life! And we live in a trilevel so I have no idea the safest place to “hunker down” Glad you’re all Okay.
I’d love it if you’d stop by and link an encouraging post to my blog. http://www.lessonsfromivy.com/2012/04/being-content-in-mothering.html
we were hunkered down too! our neighbor’s tree cam uprooted and flew into my house so that was “exciting” last time our own tree fell on our house. the time before a tornado tore the roof off my house and we lost most everything we owned. another time one went sailing thru our yard taking or mailbox and kids’ toys but leaving our house- a rental after losing our first one mentioned before, untouched while destroying our neighbors. i am terrified of tornados!!