I vividly remember March 14th as the scariest experience I’ve ever lived through. Earlier that day, I had just gotten off work and was driving home. There had been talk that day of some anticipated storms, but I remember looking outside and thinking, “Things don’t seem very bad right now.” I got home, relaxed for a bit, and then decided to take a nap.
I woke up around 7 PM, and I remember it being much, much darker out. There still didn’t seem to be much rain. I got up and went into the living room, where my parents were watching TV. Suddenly I remember the storm picking up a bit, and the tornado warning started ringing on all of our phones. We quickly all went to my parents’ room. With my mom being physically disabled, my dad got a chair for her and placed it into their walk-in closet. She got situated with the dog, while my dad and I continued watching outside their window. I remember talking and being interrupted mid-sentence by mom, telling us to be quiet. We could hear the storm approaching. I’ll never forget the ominous roar of it. It sounded just like an approaching freight train, but with no whistle.
As dad and I hurried into the closet, he shut the bedroom door and the closet door. My mom was hunched over in her chair with her arms over her head, while my dad and I remained standing. In the moment, I didn’t even think to get down and cover my head. It was like I was frozen. The noise got louder and louder. The house started rumbling, and I could feel my ears popping from the pressure. That’s when we lost power. We started to hear the loud bangs of debris hitting the sides of our house and roof. Having never experienced a tornado before, I thought our house was being ripped apart with us in it. My dad began praying out loud over us, and my mom cried out in tears, “God help us!” Her fear-stricken voice is yet another sound I will never forget. I stood completely motionless, with the only thought in my head being, “This is it. I’m going to die here.”
Fortunately, as quickly as the storm appeared, it was gone. My dad and I stepped out of the closet, and he reluctantly opened the bedroom door. To our surprise, the inside of our house was completely intact. Dad grabbed a flashlight and went outside to inspect for damage. I remember following him and seeing probably a dozen flashlights, all from others checking on their houses and neighbors. I also remember that night being darker than I’d ever seen.
Quickly, police cars began flooding the street and checking on everyone. Dad came in and told us that we had some exterior damage to our roof, siding, and windows. Additionally, our outdoor AC/heating unit had been destroyed. The debris was littered all across the street, our yard, and neighboring yards. We started getting phone calls from family and friends making sure we were okay. I remember word of mouth getting around quickly of various rumors, with some making outrageous claims that Walmart had been destroyed or that the casualties were in the hundreds.
After a couple hours, we were all exhausted and decided it was time for a restless attempt at sleep. I woke up the next morning around 7 AM, so I got up and got some pictures of the outside now that there was some light. Dad got up and began cleaning up outside soon after. I took off work so I could stay and help. What felt like mere minutes passed, and suddenly our whole street was outside cleaning up. Neighbors were helping each other however they could, whether it be lifting heavy debris or simply talking/providing emotional support. It was such a powerful, heartwarming experience to see the community coming together like that.
Even six months later, our community still continues to rebuild and recover from this tragedy. I pray for those who have been impacted by this storm in any capacity.
