Tornado hammered us

96harley

Got hit with a tornado that stayed on the ground here in Indiana for 180 miles running from the southwestern edge of the state to the northeast. Talk about a mess! Thank God nobody was fatally injured in our city or county. If you other LEO's have not worked through a critical incident situation, it is a real learning session. All those table top scenarios that work out great on the table will blow up in your face during the real deal. When you mix local, county, state, national guard, truckers, EMS, contractors, firefighters, cooks, and the list goes on and on, it is a NIGHTMARE. Thank God I work with good people. They carried the ball well but I wouldn't want to go through it again. For the first six ours of the ordeal I didn't even know if my house was still standing. I couldn't leave town to check on it. My wife finally called after temporary phone lines were put up and told me only a few limbs were down with no other damage.

One thing I did learn was regardless of where you live or what you do, everyone pitched in and helped. I was really moved by the generous outsiders who came to help. Words can never express my gratitude to them. They really lifted my spirits.

dads-freehold

greetings, glad your ok 96harl'y and your family, but you really want to see a goat breeding add some fema or oshsa inspectors. nobody can screw something up like the federales. respt submitted dads-freehold

if your going to be a savage, be a headhunter

William81

I am happy to hear that you and your family came though it well. I hope your life gets back to normal soon (whatever that is !!!)

Guns only have two enemies: Rust and Liberals....

sodbuster

96 Harley:
First of all, thank GOD that you and your family are all right. I too wish that life returns to (ab)normal as soon as possible.
Tornados are pretty common here in Western Kansas Outback. A lot of us have Tornado Spotter training and go storm chasing when we are called up by the National Weather Service. Members of our HAM Radio Club went to Central Kansas a coupla years back to help clean up efforts after a severe tornado devastated a community.
If you know which direction the tornados are moving you can warn those that are in its path.

"Just my opinion."

TOOLS1

In 1973 a tornado hit the town of Monticelo IN, My dad worked in a factory there and was on the roof when it came. It was a mirical he was not hurt or killed. A few days later he took my brother and me to see the damage it did. The best way I could describe it was it looked like a WWII bombing raid had taken place. Buildings layed in piles of rubble, The rail road bridge was torn and twisted. At the time I was a child and did not realy understand what had happened. But now as I think back it. I wounder how people lived through it. And what it took to rebuild. But thay did. I am also sure that you will overcome this time to.
The Tool family has you in our prayers.
TOOLS


When I was a child, I thought as a child. But now that I am growen, I just wish I could act like a child and get away with it.

offeror

We had one in Fort Wayne some months ago you may have heard about. Took a long time to rebuild the damage. It came through my back yard so close that it clipped the top off trees 10-20 feet from my patio -- but missed me and my dog. Talk about luck. Leveled some buildings on the next property, tossed cars all over the Northcrest mall, took the roof off a big retirement home, and every roof on our apartment complex had to have shingle repair. It also literally uprooted trees and turned them on their sides. Yours was on the ground even longer. I know what you're going through. Wait til the first car rolls up to you (as happened to me) and a couple says -- "we're flabbergasted -- we've been out of town on vacation -- what happened?"

- Life NRA Member
"If cowardly & dishonorable men shoot unarmed men with army guns, the evil must be prevented by the penitentiary...and not by general deprivation of constitutional privilege." - Arkansas Supreme Court, 1878

n/a

So very glad you and your family are okay....


Lil' Stinker's Opinion

Nighthawk

96 Harley,Im sorry to hear of your loss,but at least you have your home and family.I dont think Ive heard of a Tornado going 180 miles long.Im glad to hear you and all family are safe.


Best!!

Rugster


Toujours Pret

96harley

Thanks everyone.
Dads, they are here now and yes you are right in your assessment of a mess. Things were going so well until they appeared and then politics and the power struggle took precedence over people's welfare.

Offeror I remeber that in the news here. Now I have a new appreciation for those who have gone through one. I remember the ones in 1973 as well. I was moved to tears when a group of kids came to help us Saturday from out of town. I stepped onto the school bus to thank them but had to get back off due to my heart choking me up.
I'm glad I serve a God who knows how to bring people together.

muley

Thank God you and your family are OK....I was born and raised in southwest Arizona, so I don't know about such things as tornados. All we had was heat, sandstorms, heat, drought and heat. Drought and heat don't usually take your house and carry it to the next county. I can only admire the courage of people that can go to bed at night not knowing if they will wake up in the morning or have to go underground during the night.

muley

****I love the smell of Hoppes #9 in the morning****

Alerion

I wondered how you made out. It missed my house in Bloomington so all I suffered there was losing a treetop to high winds. But with being a Red Cross volunteer I wound up spending the rest of the day (and most of the night) doing shelter ops in Ellettsville.

But, on the good side, nobody was killed, most injuries were minor, and since I only got to eat breakfast on Friday, I lost five pounds!

Glad to hear you're OK!

Tom

So, just how does rendering me defenseless protect you from violent criminals?

chris_ce

live in ellettsville work in indy took 6 hours to drive home
usally only 1.15 hours
it missed my house by half a block
brother lives in indy missed his house by three houses
seems like everyone i know and work with was really close
we all came away with our lives which is all that counts


nice to know so many from indiana

chris

96harley

Alerion, I think I gained 5 pounds. I was stuck in the command unit and every time I walked out to get a cup of coffee some good cooking woman have arrived with something special. I was stuck there until 1:00 AM Sat then back at 7:00 AM until 12:00 midnight. Today, Thursday things are back to normal. All that remains is the clean up here and there. Yes it is miracle not one person lost a life here, just injuries. God was watching over Indiana's souls.