Monday, May 20, 2013

Tornado

 


The photo above is of a tornado or "cyclone" as depicted in the movie "The Wizard of Oz".
 In all of the special effects and expensive computer generated images that we see in movies today, it astounds me that this movie from 1939 was able to capture the image of a tornado with a funnel shaped piece of muslin cloth.  It was attached to the sound stage and simply rotated and moved to simulate a twister.

Photo from Wikipedia of an actual tornado in Oklahoma.

There are some huge storms expected today in Oklahoma and the Midwest is very well known for tornadoes.  In the Southeast, we have our fair share of them as well.  My prayers are with those in the path of the storm and my hope is that the destruction will be as minimal as possible and with no loss of life.
My Dad called me last night and asked me if I had seen the tornadoes on the news.  He told me a story about one that he lived through in 1936 when he was a young lad in Toccoa, Georgia. The following is what he said...

"I was at school (Eastannollee) and asked if I could go to the outhouse. (It was a few hundred yards away from the school building and was a 7-holer!)  The teacher gave me permission and I walked there and it was raining just a little bit.  When I came back out, it started getting dark and by the time I got back to the schoolhouse, it was pitch black, like night-time!  The teacher made us sit at our desks and told us to be quiet and to not make a move.  With no electricity, we sat in complete darkness and listened as the wind and rain roared over us.  We only found out later about the terrible storm in Gainesville and knew how lucky we were since we were in the direct path of the storm..."

 I told my Dad that I was very aware about the big tornado that had hit Gainesville  but it had never occurred to me to ask if my Dad had any memories of it.  My grandfather, my mother's father, worked for the state of Georgia and was one of those who helped to recover the bodies in the town square of Gainesville. It is believed that 203 people died although the final body count has never been verified.  Two tornadoes merged when they reached the town of Gainesville and together they leveled everything in sight.  Some of the debris was 10 feet high.  One of the heartbreaking stories is that a group of schoolchildren on their way to school sought shelter from the storm in a downtown department store building and were killed when the building collapsed upon them.

This storm is known as the Tupelo-Gainesville tornado outbreak and you may read about it here.  Elvis Presley was a baby in Tupelo, Mississipi when this tornado happened and was one of the survivors.

Our weather has not been too bad although we have had a lot of rain this weekend in Georgia (Flowery Branch, which is close to Gainesville, had SEVEN inches of rain!)  and there has been severe flooding with roads being washed away.  I pray for those in the Mid-West and ask for your prayers as well.

Update:  After I did this post, I have now seen the news from Moore, Oklahoma and the tornado that hit this afternoon was on the ground for 40 minutes and it was about two miles wide.  There have been deaths even at an elementary school.  I still ask you for your prayers.

26 comments:

  1. Some of my blog friends live in Oklahoma. Prayers for them. Hope all is well with you and your family.

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    1. Yes, all our prayers are for those who are suffering from the effects of the tornado, for those who have lost loved ones.

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  2. Yes, i'm praying for the storms to abate and all to be safe. We've lived through hurricanes, so my heart goes out to people in the path of major storms.

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    1. It is such a scary thing, even with all the radar and the forecasts, you can't know how powerful the tornado can become or how long it will stay on the ground, and you can't even be sure which way it will go! My heart goes out to Oklahoma.

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  3. The worst storm I've ever experienced was Cyclone Lothar. To my surprise, I found that "Lothar" even has an entry in the English wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Lothar

    So tragic that so many people have died in this tornado. One would think that everybody takes precautions, now that there is usually some forewarning from the meteorologists. I do hope very much that you and your loved ones are all safe, Kay!

    What I don't understand about the episode your Dad remembers from 1936 is: why did the teacher tell the children to be quiet and not make a move? It wouldn't have made a difference to the tornado, had they been talking or praying together, or listening to a story the teacher may have told them - anything to make the whole experience a little less scary, maybe.

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    1. Ah, read my comment above to Mimi... while it is true that there are dire warnings it is also true that you can never know exactly what will happen with the weather and I think even the meteorologists were surprised by the intensity of this tornado.
      I wonder if many of the children in 1936 were attempting to walk home. Every single one of them would have walked to school and it would be logical that many of them might have tried to do so. Perhaps by making them sit still, it would make them quiet and therefore calm them down. After all, when my mother wanted me to stop talking, she would always say, "BE still!".
      Also, my Dad's generation in 1936? They grew up very early, my Dad got to the school first and built the fire in the winter, every day! Now, some people could say that anyone could say that, but I think you must know enough about my Dad to know that sounds just like him. They had no electricity or running water in the school. Kids in the country, in Georgia, had to be plenty TOUGH. That is my Dad!

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  4. I have been watching the pictures on our TV stations and I just cannot find the words - such devastation - it must have been terrifying for them all. It certainly puts our lives into perspective doesn't it? x

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    1. This was such an incredibly strong tornado that because it was so big and was on the ground for so long it caused so much damage. Terrible pictures, I know, it's heartbreaking to see the destruction.

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  5. I am praying for all those affected by those terrible tornados. May the dear Lord bless them with strength and comfort them in their time of loss, as they begin picking up the pieces of their lives.

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    1. The good people of Oklahoma are strong and they will recover with the prayers of the whole nation and the world!
      A tornado leaves such a mess and it is a big job to clean it up. God be with them as they do so.

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  6. What a terrible experience for anyone to live through.

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    1. It's truly a scary thing and one that is very familiar in Georgia too. (Several relatives of mine have survived tornadoes.)

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  7. Kay, I glad send up prayers for all those in Oklamhoma. It's too heartbreaking to watch the news. There has been a lot bad weather things happening. Take care. xoxo,Susie

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    1. With all the technology, it is still hard to predict exactly what will happen with the weather.
      Thanks for your comment. xx

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  8. Dear Kay, I was watching the videos of this terrible event and also watching a video about some of the heroism of teachers and others. I am joining you in my prayers.

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    1. I also love the stories of all the people turning up asking how could they help! Teachers covering the children to keep them safe, doesn't surprise me one bit, that is what teachers are like!
      So thankful that some of the children were found that they thought they had lost.

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  9. A storm like this one and the one your father survived show us just how small and insignificant we really are. And it illustrates very clearly our need to believe in a power greater than ourselves.

    xoxox

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  10. It's so heartbreaking. I can hardly stand to watch the news.

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    1. I know, and I sometimes wish that the news people would start helping to pick things up as they are talking...that would be more useful!

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  11. How wonderful that he could tell you that story. And think of he and Elvis both surviving!
    It's an awful thing no matter when or where it happens, and as for the newspeople, I saw a video of a woman's dog being found alive in the rubble while she was talking to a newsperson. She had to ASK the newsperson to help. Can you imagine not dropping your mic or camera and coming to the aid of a person or dog?!

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    1. Oh Nan, you and I think just alike! I saw the same news clip and thought the same thing!
      I was so happy that she found her dog!!!

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  12. My heart aches for all those who have lost loved ones. It is hard to comprehend such wide scale devastation, but through it all I have been amazed by the strength of the people of Moore and the kindness of all those rushing to do whatever they can to help. Keeping the people of Oklahoma in my prayers.

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    1. Thanks, Mairead, for your comment.
      Strong and kind, yes that is exactly what I have seen in Oklahoma.

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  13. The Outer Hebrides has the occasional hurricane and the 2005 one destroyed part of my house (not the main part which has 15" thick stone/concrete walls) and that was scary. New Zealand has earthquakes and Napier (I live nearby) was destroyed by one in 1931 and Christchurch has had over 11,000 since the Big One in 2010. i can cope with all that. The uncertainty of living with tornados is something with which I could not cope.

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    1. And I have seen a tornado completely destroy a home and leave the one right next door untouched.
      Even now with all the warnings, you never know for sure what will happen.

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