Living in North Carolina has its benefits -- mild winters with little or no snow (usually!), a long growing season, and proximity to beautiful shorelines -- but the state has its share of misfortune when hurricanes blow in, dumping copious amounts of rain and spawning tornadoes as they bend trees like rubber bands. That's when we usually see tornadoes around here -- as spinoffs of thunderstorms around hurricanes. But this past weekend saw a unique blend of weather that created supercells that spawned tornadoes like we've never seen before. With a cold front approaching from the west, strong winds ahead of the front pulling up moisture-laden air from the south, and upper-level winds that went in different directions, the result was catastrophic. At least 25 tornadoes touched down in the eastern part of the state; multiple tornadoes were on the ground simultaneously. As the storms barrelled across the state with alarming speed, I watched the local news station weather people struggle to stay on top of events as the situation unfolded. It was very stressful watching, knowing that people's lives, livelihoods, vehicles, and homes were being destroyed. Even the capital city of Raleigh was not spared. The tornadoes were powerful, staying on the ground for miles upon miles, sucking up everything in their paths. I guess the only good thing that can be said about this past Saturday is that the tornadoes occurred during the daylight hours; if it had been dark and people had been asleep, the results would have been ten times worse.
In a Raleigh trailer park, 3 boys were killed instantly when a large tree fell on the home. Also injured were the mother and baby sister of one of the boys. The baby died Tuesday of her injuries. The children were cousins. Their funerals were today. I can't imagine the grief their parents and family are carrying; mine at the loss of my sister pales by comparison. The total death toll in the state now stands at 24, but it could still climb higher as many people were critically injured. I'm praying that it doesn't go any higher. The dead range in age from 3 months to 92 years
Flags throughout the state are flying at half-staff today in honor of the victims of the tornadoes. Houses, buildings, and barns can be rebuilt, but the lives lost are gone forever.
There is a chance of severe thunderstorms this evening, but we've been assured by the weather people that the conditions are not conducive to producing what we saw on Saturday. I'm hoping for some rain at my house; Saturday's storms fortunately went around our area, and we received little rain, no wind, and no hail. The storms were concentrated and violent and their paths were narrow, leaving property destroyed and yet leaving other places, sometimes across the street, unscathed. The photos below show areas of Raleigh where the tornado wasn't even on the ground but was about 15 feet above the ground, which resulted in snapped trees toppled onto buildings. Where the tornado actually touched the ground, entire homes were blown apart and left a heap of rubble, or they were torn assunder and scattered as far as the wind could throw them. These are photos I took while driving around with my husband the day after the storms.
There is so much for which to be thankful as I sit and enjoy the peaceful beauty of my house and yard. My prayers are for those who suffered the loss of so much, many of whom had so little, on a spring day in North Carolina when Mother Nature displayed her meanest side.
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