About 1900 the first warnings that concerned me were posted. A line of separate and entrained super cell thunderstorms moved into the Chattanooga area. They were the lineal descendents of a cell that hit a hospital in Alabama. By sundown, the cells extended into N.E. TN and their proximity and severity increased inversely to the remaining daylight.
The winds that seem calming, benevolent, and cooling during non-storm days are now insistent upon our attention to their flow and alterations in flow. They must be listened to tonight and they bring concern from all quarters. In the absence of daylight and with no early warning system beyond the NWS radar feeds and the local TV stations, it is a night to listen intently.
At 2200, the line of unconnected super cell storms reaches from Kentucky and Virginia, through Tennessee, all the way south to Birmingham. They’re spaced just far enough apart to not dampen each other out and the current warnings attached to them in our locale last until 0200 now. Sundown was two hours ago but they still have an immense energy reserve driving them.
As it turns out, I could have made my 1340 history class and still faced only high winds on the journey home. But, honestly, allergies are leaving me very tired and I wasn’t up to sitting in class taking notes today.
I’ve been listening to the wind, watching radar feeds, and measuring map views against reality. The last two hours have seen the super cells go sliding by just barely to the northwest of us. The western sky is lit by nearly constant lightning. The wind carries raindrops but it is not yet raining on us. One of the signs of tornadic activity is continual lightening. For all its beauty and power, I’m not at all pleased to see it.
The tracking pattern has shifted a bit and the next cell may not skirt by us. The distant thunder is growing in volume. The dog is quite edgy but not frantic. I managed to take her out for her night walk.
28 April 2011
The next cell did not skirt by us. It hit to our SW and left a trail of death and debris. Our home escaped damage. We huddled in the interior bathroom – would have done little good. The real damage becomes evident about 1 mile toward highway 107. There was a fatality, a man we'd never met. He lived in a singlewide simply vanished. So did his restored car. For the next mile, the damage follows the normal pattern of random destruction and capriciously spared property. In this instance, devastation is predominate. Entire wood and masonry homes have vanished. Hundreds of trees are broken and flung about. The storm touched down around Camp Creek with several fatalities happening there. Then it tracked in our direction and only the mysteries of fluid mechanics kept us in the unharmed column. The nearest damage is ca. 0.3 Km down valley.
Power lines, poles, and transformers are down everywhere. I doubt we will have power before Monday. We do, surprisingly, have a working landline.
The surrounding fields and woodlands are filled with debris, broken trees, broken homes, and lost dreams.
There were two tornadoes that came through our area. I watched the first approach, heard it pass nearby, and waited until it had time to pass before breaking cover. The second was announced on the NWS radio, just in time for me to get Gloria out of bed and under cover. I also heard it go by. The early thought is that these were in the EF-3 - EF-5 intensity range. We are all lucky to be here today.
Mike and I toured the roads in this morning, returned to the house, got Gloria and left for Breakfast. The diner was full of people with no power and stories of their night. Everyone was amazed at the extent of damage. One of the reasons we settled on moving to this area was the very low frequency of tornadoes. It appears that low value is creeping upward. This year has brought three close enough to hear in transit.
The generator is running, we have either water or fridge and freezer. I’d love a hot shower. I’ll be nursing the generator for the next several days. I have to replace its battery tomorrow and fill up two 10-gallon tanks with gasoline.
I don’t know when this will be posted. I have no internet, no cable, and no wi-fi. So much we take for granted is so easily gone. We have dry place to sleep, all our possessions, all our friends and neighbors. I’ve had about two-three hours of sleep since Wednesday morning. I’m going to enjoy sleeping tonight.
I don’t know what prompted me to begin this entry last night. I’m glad I did. When I powered up my notebook this afternoon, the last radar scan, taking place as I slammed my notebook into a backpack and ran for cover, blazed out at me. I don’t want to see that pattern ever again. I’m glad I spent the evening watching the super cells slide by. Yesterday set a new record for tornadoes and tornado-caused deaths.
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