It's hard to believe it's been 15 years
Apr. 26th, 2006 02:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sestree15 years ago this evening I woke up in an area I didn't recognize surrounded by stuff that made no sense and in mortal terror because I couldn't see my son, I couldn't hear very well, and things just were confused. It seemed to take forever to figure out what had happened ....
April 26, 1991 tornadoes tore through Kansas.
Most people remember hearing about the deadly F-5 tornado that hit Andover KS and destroyed the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. Our local KANG unit helped with cleanup there. I was there months afterwards and I didn't recognize most of the town.
This was the one that went through Wichita and hit McConnell AFB. Debris from McConnell AFB dispensary was found as far north as Topeka (big storm)
Unfortunately, there aren't any pictures that I know of of the one that went through Cowley County. It was technically classed as an F-4 by the people who flew over. That's because they couldn't find remants of some of the houses which is what characterizes an F-5. Anyway, our civil defense in KS classed it as an F-5 as well.
This is all that was left of 3 houses, outbuildings, and a 2 car garage (which probably explains the camaro doesn't it? My son and I were about 15 - 20 feet beyond that mess off to the east where thankfully there was very very little debris. Oh see the woodpile in the back of the garage? My shoes and socks were found intermingled with the wood pieces. I know I had them on ....
Anyway, yes this is probably not real interesting and a bit long but it is good therapy (and behind an LJ cut because I love you all). It's also a reminder to me of what luckily DID come out of that mess ok which were my neighbors (who weren't home), my son Robert and myself (who were unfortunately home at the time - no basement) and my sanity which was in question there for a bit. It's a real bitch when you miscalculate isn't it? I thought we would be just fine --- I thought wrong. Luckily I wasn't as wrong as the people who were killed by this. We did lose one person in Cowley County that day. She stayed home too.
These were my darling companions - Rocket (greyhound) Pooch (doberman) Lucky (lab/shepherd cross) oh and me before my life turned upside down. Lucky survived. The others didn't. It still brings tears to my eyes to remember that day - tears of gratitude for our lives and tears of pain for the lives lost.
April 26, 1991 tornadoes tore through Kansas.
Most people remember hearing about the deadly F-5 tornado that hit Andover KS and destroyed the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park. Our local KANG unit helped with cleanup there. I was there months afterwards and I didn't recognize most of the town.
This was the one that went through Wichita and hit McConnell AFB. Debris from McConnell AFB dispensary was found as far north as Topeka (big storm)
Unfortunately, there aren't any pictures that I know of of the one that went through Cowley County. It was technically classed as an F-4 by the people who flew over. That's because they couldn't find remants of some of the houses which is what characterizes an F-5. Anyway, our civil defense in KS classed it as an F-5 as well.
This is all that was left of 3 houses, outbuildings, and a 2 car garage (which probably explains the camaro doesn't it? My son and I were about 15 - 20 feet beyond that mess off to the east where thankfully there was very very little debris. Oh see the woodpile in the back of the garage? My shoes and socks were found intermingled with the wood pieces. I know I had them on ....
Anyway, yes this is probably not real interesting and a bit long but it is good therapy (and behind an LJ cut because I love you all). It's also a reminder to me of what luckily DID come out of that mess ok which were my neighbors (who weren't home), my son Robert and myself (who were unfortunately home at the time - no basement) and my sanity which was in question there for a bit. It's a real bitch when you miscalculate isn't it? I thought we would be just fine --- I thought wrong. Luckily I wasn't as wrong as the people who were killed by this. We did lose one person in Cowley County that day. She stayed home too.
These were my darling companions - Rocket (greyhound) Pooch (doberman) Lucky (lab/shepherd cross) oh and me before my life turned upside down. Lucky survived. The others didn't. It still brings tears to my eyes to remember that day - tears of gratitude for our lives and tears of pain for the lives lost.
