I’d gone to visit my mom in the country for the holiday weekend, and we were to have a lunch on Sunday with some other family members, when the storm came, and it was pretty wild. Flash floods, multiple tornados, earthshaking thunder. The power went out. My mom’s smart phone kept on receiving warnings telling us of flash floods and tornados, and she called her sister, who lives in a nearby town and still had power, and SHE was tracking the first tornado . . . which was very close to my mom’s house. Actually it was over at Hamilton Pool, which is a beautiful natural lagoon. Anyway, so my mom and I gathered our pets in the central hallway, piled mattresses on the floor to throw over us if the tornado came, and had flashlights and candles all around — I actually used my Kindle as one of our lights.

Well, the tornado went north instead of west, so it missed us, but it came very close. Meanwhile we were still without power and it was a raging river outside. Then ANOTHER tornado was reported in the area, and then another. My mom and I played board games.

The next day our family lunch had to be modified, but we were able to do it, and I went home the long way, as the river had flooded the bridge I normally would have left by. We went to see the river, which was pretty wild.

I’ve heard that 13 people (as of this count) died in the flooding. Rest in peace.