This week, some people from the Yearbook class are going to share their stories from different disasters. If you have a story that you would like to share, e-mail us at mulberrytimes@gmail.com.
So, this is my story from the June 1 tornado. I know that it happened when I was 9, but something like that, you never forget.
June 1 was actually the end of an early co-op year. Back then, there was just two classes in the morning, science and history or the like, and it was the last day of school. After that, my family and I rode our bikes to the library. We stayed late at the library, looking for a certain book for my dad. Tyme, my little sister, was scared. I remember that. She had heard one of the librarians talking about a tornado.
Finally, my mom found the book, checked it out, and we biked home, down Surry road. Later, it became devastated by the tornado, only about a half hour away.
I remember praying for safety.
When we finally got home, we went upstairs, to plan our camping trip. We were going to go to Hammonasset to camp for Tyme's birthday. Then, maybe 5 minutes later- maybe 10, my mom called us down, saying that one of my grandmothers had seen a report on the television about a tornado going through downtown Springfield. So, we grabbed apples and books and flashlights and trooped downstairs, sitting near the round table. The power went out, but we had flashlights.We stayed down there a while, and after a while, my mom went upstairs to grab something, and saw that it was fine. We came upstairs.
Around 4:15, at his work in Connecticut, my dad saw news about the tornado. He sped home, probably worried beyond belief. However, he found us all in the front yard, picking up sticks and roof insulator, and checking on the chickens.
Dad and I tried to walk down Abbott, but people were being told to keep in their houses. Something about a second tornado?
We came home and had tuna for dinner. The power was still out.
Then, one of our friends from church arrived. He made sure that we were okay, and then continued on to check on other people. When we got back inside, Leo's hand was swelling up. He must have been stung by something.We went back downstairs and Dad asked for ice for Leo's hand (while showing him a few scenes from the new Star Trek!). I went upstairs for ice, only to discover that the sky had turned green (Leo's hand recovered).
We went back upstairs that night.
The next day, we went to a friend's house. They had received lots of damage, and people from my church (since they were members too) were helping clean up. We brought burritos for them, and Libby and I played around with them on the fallen tree in the back.
The power came on again that Saturday. After that, we left on our camping trip.
My church was helping tornado cleanup until November of that year.
No comments:
Post a Comment