Orion
02-26-2004, 03:32 AM
Well, I know I haven't been around much lately, things having changed so much, tornado, college, everything, that I haven't had much time to relate to many people on AGN my experience that happened on June 24th, 2003, which was in fact the tornado that ripped apart my town and turned my life upside down for the next 4 months and beyond. Having thought a lot about it since, I have told many people here at SMSU the story of what happened and most people are able to draw something inspirational from it, so I thought I would share it here on AGN too. So, read on if you will, and hopefully I'll be able to say i made some good out of something that was anything but.
It was a regular tuesday, rather hot and humid as they tend to be in MN in the summer, and I was having the time of my life, having just graduated from HS a month before, I just helped one of my friends move in across the street the day before. At 3:00 pm I left for work at a convenience store in a town 5 miles to the west, obviously not thinking twice about the fact that this was the last time I'd ever see it in one piece.
I'll tell you that you remember the stupidest things before something big happens. I just happen to remember before going to work kicking back in my room on my brand new office chair, talking to my friend on MSN at the time, impressed with myself that I had thoroughly cleaned my room the previous weekend. I remember at work I was training someone in at the cash register, so all I had to do that night was stand around and do nothing. I also remember saying something to the effect of "we need a big storm to come through and wipe out this humidity, this weather is horrible," while spinning around a screw i had found on the counter like a top, annoying my coworkers. Kinda coincidental..
It just happened that we were overloaded on workers that night, two girls were working the deli, i was training in another employee like i said, my friend chris was working the other register, and my night manager was there being annoying. Around 6 i took my break as it got darker. I knew full well there were storms coming that night but obviously, we usually have storms once a week or so, so I just assumed this one would be normal. I went to sit in my car to listen to the radio on my break for awhile when i noticed that there was a huge wall of rain getting closer, and it was so heavy that you couldn't see more than a mile out into the country, which diminished as it got closer. Thinking it looked cool, I went and got Chris, and we stood outside like morons as the rain came and soaked us, and our manager yelled at us. We were having a blast.
It was awhile later that people were coming and going into the store saying that the weather was getting bad to the south and people were citing funnel clouds all over the place. This was still not that uncommon so we didn't think much of it, after all, there had never been a tornado in the area before. About the time someone told us that there was one about 15 miles away, the tornado sirens sounded, and I called my parents at home to let them know that I would stay in town until the thing blew over. Then my general manager called the store and told me and chris to go outside and watch to see if there was anything bad coming, and if there was, to get everybody to shelter. Obviously, since we both loved watching storms, we were having a blast.
We stood outside for probably 45 minutes watching the clouds appear and dissappear, which to me was fascinating. Eventually our night manager got sick of us not working and she came and dragged chris in, and told me to come inside. Of course I didn't listen cuz she had no authority over me, so I stayed out there, and as she dragged me in, Chris would come out, and we would go back and forth, annoying her to death, which was loads of fun. My poor trainee didn't get to see anything :D
Then eventually, around 7, the end of the storm was coming, and it started raining harder again, and people who were passing by on the highway were stopping to take shelter for awhile, since they were unable to drive. After awhile, we had to have had at least 50 people in our small store. As I was realizing how chaotic this was getting, the power suddenly flickered once, flickered twice, and then shut down completely. All I could think of to say was "well, i can't say it looks good," not realizing that this was almost exactly the same time that the tornado was crossing the highway into my town and destroying my house. I had no idea.
Realizing that there were several people parked in semis behind the store, I was stupid, ran outside, and told them to get inside where it was safe. As i ran outside i was practically blown off my feet by the sheer force of wind that was blowing straight from the east, stronger than i had ever felt before, and i was being pelted by rain. I got some people inside and glanced to the east toawards my town, and saw a huge tornado dancing around in the country. The view of my town was obstructed by groves, so it never dawned on me that it was actually plowing through it. Thinking this was cool cuz I had never seen one before, I quick ran inside and whispered to my friend that there was a tornado outside of town. Apparently, the people in the store could read lips, cuz everybody panicked and the store went into chaos. And since we had no plan for something like this, no radios, no phones, no flashlights, no nothing, we were just dumbfounded.
After awhile, the storm died down, and everyone left back on their way. However, the power did not come back, so we sat outside on the sidewalk pondering what to do. I tried calling my generall manager from my cell phone but no luck. Then I figured I would call home to see if everything was alright, but also, no luck, not even a ring. A little concerned, I began calling every number from my town that I knew, and didn't get anything. I also tried my parents cell phone, and didn't get anything. Puzzled, I sat back down, and got a horrible feeling that something was terribly wrong.
About that time, some other friends of mine drove up to the parking lot, as they were being stupid and were chasing the tornado, and told us that my town (Buffalo Lake) was totaled. I really didn't believe them, but it enticed me enough to ask if i could quick go home and check things out and come back. My boss said no, so I sat and waited more, until eventually, literally every cop car, fire truck, and ambulence in the county went flying by, lights and sirens blaring, on the highway. At that point I knew I needed to get home, and so I asked my boss again, and she still said no. So, frustrated, I saw tht a few cops cars were parked at an intersection, so I asked if I could go ask the cops to see if they knew anything, and she said sure. So, I got in my car, drove up to them, and realized that they had barricaed the highway so I could not get home. Frustrated, I tore past them and took to the backroads, and turned on the radio to see what had happened.
That drive was probably one of the most traumatic experience of my life. Not only did I notice that the storm was starting to come back again and I was in the middle of nowhere, but also the radio was informing me that my town had indeed been hit, and that there was extensive damage to the south side (my side of town), and that they were currently looking for survivors. They also felt the need to inform me not to drive to my town because all the enterances were blocked. When I heard them mention survivors, I began to bawl. I'll admit that flat out. It was at that moment that I was forced to recognize the fact that my mom, dad, sister, neighbors, and my grandparents who lived next door, could all very well have been dead. And as long as the drive was (I was stuck by an insanely slow car that I could not pass), I had nearly accepted the fact that they were in fact dead.
As I neared town I saw that I could not drive into the streets, so I parked my car as close as I could (the northern edge of town). I stepped out of my car and got the most eerie feeling, as there was not a single sound to be heard. No people, no birds, no electricity humming, no cars, nothing. I got myself together, and began to walk through town. The first thing i noticed was a cinder block and insolation laying in the street. I should have noticed my friends house nearby that was totalled and the office that I walked by that was completely leveled, but strangely, I did not, as all I was concerned about was getting home. I walked through the grain elevator, noticing some small holes in roofs and things like that, but nothing terrible major. I came to the railroad tracks and the field that separated town into its north and south sides. My house was on the other side of this field, obstructed by trees, and also, a barbed wire fence.
Obviosuly, climbing the fence would not work (I tried), so I had one of two options. Two my right was a hole in the fence where I could walk through the open field. Since there was still a lightning storm going on, this did not appeal to me. To me left, down the railroad tracks, I knew the fence ended, but there was some large object laying across them that I did not notice, but I took my chances with going that way, as at this point I wanted nothing more than to go home.
I walked along, and realized that I was walking right next two several Anhydrous Ammonia tanks from the grain elevator that were leaking. One more obstacle in my way since it became difficult to breath, i covered my mouth and ran as fast as I could to the object laying across the tracks. When I reached it, I found it to be a 90-ft tall grain dryer that had been knocked down, however, there was a way to get around it and through the fence to my street. I took it, and noticed that there were powerlines down and a huge puddle right in front of my. I reluctantly tip-toed through it and walked past the trees and approached my street.
At this point in time I had brought myself together fairly well and thought for sure that when i got to my street and looked down towards my house, everything would be find, because i never noticed some of the more extensive damage that I had walked by. So, I walked to the corner and looked down, and nearly fell to my knees when I saw the warzone that my neighborhood resembled. Across the street were literally piles of wood, rafters, and metal where once 100-ft tall trees had stood. My house still obstructed from view. I saw people standing around in the street towards my house and walked to them, realizing that my dad was one of them. I was obviously relieved to see him, and eventually, my mom, my sister, and my neighbors, and my grandparents. Everyone was fine. I asked my dad about the house, thinking that now everything was in fact going to be alright, but he just shook his head. I looked to see that the entire roof was gone, and our yard which my parents prided themselves in taking such maticulous care of in shambles.
It was now getting dark, and I wanted to see the house quickly before we took off towards the shelter set up downtown. I found a way through the debris too my back door and had to kick in the door to get it to open. The first thing I saw was all of the dirt, mud, glass, and all of the belongings that were strewn about on the floor, as well as the ceiling which had collapsed in. I walked through the living room, got a shower of water that was ribbling from the ceiling, to my bedroom, where I found one of my cats scared in a corner, and a huge LP gas tank sitting on my bed, which had crashed through my window and shattered glass everywhere. I noticed checks and dirst and such had blown into my room as well, a lot of my stuff near my window was totaled. Howeveer, strangely, papers I had left on my desk were in their exact place where i had left them, and my laptop (which I am actually using as I type this) was just fine. I gathered a Bible and some photos (the only two things I grabbed), covered some electronics with blankets, stashed some yearbooks and my diploma in a drawer, and left the house for the night.
When we regrouped outside, the storm began to come back, and it was now dark, so we took shelter in my neighboring grandparents house which was still in decent condition, and spent the night there. I doubt I got much sleep that night, as the rain from the subsequent storms hammered the house, and I realized that all of the rain we were getting was falling straight into our house, ruining it beyond repair. I finally got to sleep, and woke up at dawn, anxious to start cleaning up.
The next 4-5 days were all a blur. THey were all hot, and humid, once again. Every day I worked from dusk to dawn, doing nothing but picking up. There was no real place to begin, no real way to measure how far we were getting, and certainly no hope as far as to what was next. I finally realized that my life was now going to be drastically different. I felt like a refugee everytime I would see the red cross vehicles drive by, as everyone would flock to them for the basics to keep us going, bottles of water and granola bars. It felt like true poverty when you saw tha national guard vehicles at every intersection, and the piles of rubble everywhere.
I was amazed by the amount of help that came to help my family and my town. That next morning I walked around town, surveying what damage other people had. One of the churches was one of the most hardest hit, as its entire roof was ripped right off, basically destroying it.
There is no way I could ever thank or even count all of the people that helped us. Literally, hundreds of volunteers, family members, and neighbors. It was the kind of thing that made me realize that there were still good people out there willing to help us. Relatives showed up early in the morning the first day, as did friends of the family. However, I was more amazed by the random people from places all over the midwest that came and just asked "what can we do to help" I am still shockd by the amont of donations people gave us from all across the country. I wish I could pay them all back, and I guess in a small way, this is a way I can do that.
The news media came and went, and got their interviews. I had ministers and grief counsellors come and talk to me and others, and I told them the story that I just told you. One minister was so inspired by my determination to get home that he asked my permssion to use it as his sermon the next sunday.
Cleanup continued for about 4 days, as we moved what we could salvage out of our house. We watched as our neighbors got back their water, their gas, and their electricity, and were able to stay in their homes. Ours was condemned with a red sign on the front door. For those 4 days, I did not have time to think, feel sorry for myself, as why it happened, or cry. I went to a community church service that sunday at the school in town (since both churches were unusable), and was probably the worst dressed I had ever been for such a thing. It was hard trying to contain my emotions when everyone was crying there, and eventually, I went back home, to my now empty room, sat in the corner, and cried, which was something i desperately needed to do.
That next tuesday, a week to the day of the tornado, I returned to work. Our house was also torn down to make way for building a new one, and we moved into our camper that would be our home for the next several months. I eventually moved to college, which became one of the greatest experiences of my life. I was glad to get away, and start everything over. In november, 4 months to the day of the tornado, my family moved into our new house that was completed, and things are as close to normal as they will ever be. In december, on Christmas Eve, 6 months to the day, the churches reopened for the first time. And now, I am here, reflecting on it once again. A trophy from the storm, my mangled street corner sign, sits as a trophy in my dorm room.
I realize that things could have been so much worse. No one died, or was even hurt. I don't care if you believe in God, but I certainly do, and I know he was watching over my family and everyone else in my down. I realized not to take the things I had for granted, because I was forced in an instant to face my greatest fears, and everything I knew to that point in my life, was different. I also realized how good people can be, and how grateful I am to everyone who has listened to me, helped me, and prayed for me, my family, and my town. There is still a long ways to go, and traumatic memory that will never be erased, but at least I know I am still here.
So, with that, if you didn't fall asleep reading it, it my story. Hopefully you understand me a bit better and got something good out of it.
~Marcus
It was a regular tuesday, rather hot and humid as they tend to be in MN in the summer, and I was having the time of my life, having just graduated from HS a month before, I just helped one of my friends move in across the street the day before. At 3:00 pm I left for work at a convenience store in a town 5 miles to the west, obviously not thinking twice about the fact that this was the last time I'd ever see it in one piece.
I'll tell you that you remember the stupidest things before something big happens. I just happen to remember before going to work kicking back in my room on my brand new office chair, talking to my friend on MSN at the time, impressed with myself that I had thoroughly cleaned my room the previous weekend. I remember at work I was training someone in at the cash register, so all I had to do that night was stand around and do nothing. I also remember saying something to the effect of "we need a big storm to come through and wipe out this humidity, this weather is horrible," while spinning around a screw i had found on the counter like a top, annoying my coworkers. Kinda coincidental..
It just happened that we were overloaded on workers that night, two girls were working the deli, i was training in another employee like i said, my friend chris was working the other register, and my night manager was there being annoying. Around 6 i took my break as it got darker. I knew full well there were storms coming that night but obviously, we usually have storms once a week or so, so I just assumed this one would be normal. I went to sit in my car to listen to the radio on my break for awhile when i noticed that there was a huge wall of rain getting closer, and it was so heavy that you couldn't see more than a mile out into the country, which diminished as it got closer. Thinking it looked cool, I went and got Chris, and we stood outside like morons as the rain came and soaked us, and our manager yelled at us. We were having a blast.
It was awhile later that people were coming and going into the store saying that the weather was getting bad to the south and people were citing funnel clouds all over the place. This was still not that uncommon so we didn't think much of it, after all, there had never been a tornado in the area before. About the time someone told us that there was one about 15 miles away, the tornado sirens sounded, and I called my parents at home to let them know that I would stay in town until the thing blew over. Then my general manager called the store and told me and chris to go outside and watch to see if there was anything bad coming, and if there was, to get everybody to shelter. Obviously, since we both loved watching storms, we were having a blast.
We stood outside for probably 45 minutes watching the clouds appear and dissappear, which to me was fascinating. Eventually our night manager got sick of us not working and she came and dragged chris in, and told me to come inside. Of course I didn't listen cuz she had no authority over me, so I stayed out there, and as she dragged me in, Chris would come out, and we would go back and forth, annoying her to death, which was loads of fun. My poor trainee didn't get to see anything :D
Then eventually, around 7, the end of the storm was coming, and it started raining harder again, and people who were passing by on the highway were stopping to take shelter for awhile, since they were unable to drive. After awhile, we had to have had at least 50 people in our small store. As I was realizing how chaotic this was getting, the power suddenly flickered once, flickered twice, and then shut down completely. All I could think of to say was "well, i can't say it looks good," not realizing that this was almost exactly the same time that the tornado was crossing the highway into my town and destroying my house. I had no idea.
Realizing that there were several people parked in semis behind the store, I was stupid, ran outside, and told them to get inside where it was safe. As i ran outside i was practically blown off my feet by the sheer force of wind that was blowing straight from the east, stronger than i had ever felt before, and i was being pelted by rain. I got some people inside and glanced to the east toawards my town, and saw a huge tornado dancing around in the country. The view of my town was obstructed by groves, so it never dawned on me that it was actually plowing through it. Thinking this was cool cuz I had never seen one before, I quick ran inside and whispered to my friend that there was a tornado outside of town. Apparently, the people in the store could read lips, cuz everybody panicked and the store went into chaos. And since we had no plan for something like this, no radios, no phones, no flashlights, no nothing, we were just dumbfounded.
After awhile, the storm died down, and everyone left back on their way. However, the power did not come back, so we sat outside on the sidewalk pondering what to do. I tried calling my generall manager from my cell phone but no luck. Then I figured I would call home to see if everything was alright, but also, no luck, not even a ring. A little concerned, I began calling every number from my town that I knew, and didn't get anything. I also tried my parents cell phone, and didn't get anything. Puzzled, I sat back down, and got a horrible feeling that something was terribly wrong.
About that time, some other friends of mine drove up to the parking lot, as they were being stupid and were chasing the tornado, and told us that my town (Buffalo Lake) was totaled. I really didn't believe them, but it enticed me enough to ask if i could quick go home and check things out and come back. My boss said no, so I sat and waited more, until eventually, literally every cop car, fire truck, and ambulence in the county went flying by, lights and sirens blaring, on the highway. At that point I knew I needed to get home, and so I asked my boss again, and she still said no. So, frustrated, I saw tht a few cops cars were parked at an intersection, so I asked if I could go ask the cops to see if they knew anything, and she said sure. So, I got in my car, drove up to them, and realized that they had barricaed the highway so I could not get home. Frustrated, I tore past them and took to the backroads, and turned on the radio to see what had happened.
That drive was probably one of the most traumatic experience of my life. Not only did I notice that the storm was starting to come back again and I was in the middle of nowhere, but also the radio was informing me that my town had indeed been hit, and that there was extensive damage to the south side (my side of town), and that they were currently looking for survivors. They also felt the need to inform me not to drive to my town because all the enterances were blocked. When I heard them mention survivors, I began to bawl. I'll admit that flat out. It was at that moment that I was forced to recognize the fact that my mom, dad, sister, neighbors, and my grandparents who lived next door, could all very well have been dead. And as long as the drive was (I was stuck by an insanely slow car that I could not pass), I had nearly accepted the fact that they were in fact dead.
As I neared town I saw that I could not drive into the streets, so I parked my car as close as I could (the northern edge of town). I stepped out of my car and got the most eerie feeling, as there was not a single sound to be heard. No people, no birds, no electricity humming, no cars, nothing. I got myself together, and began to walk through town. The first thing i noticed was a cinder block and insolation laying in the street. I should have noticed my friends house nearby that was totalled and the office that I walked by that was completely leveled, but strangely, I did not, as all I was concerned about was getting home. I walked through the grain elevator, noticing some small holes in roofs and things like that, but nothing terrible major. I came to the railroad tracks and the field that separated town into its north and south sides. My house was on the other side of this field, obstructed by trees, and also, a barbed wire fence.
Obviosuly, climbing the fence would not work (I tried), so I had one of two options. Two my right was a hole in the fence where I could walk through the open field. Since there was still a lightning storm going on, this did not appeal to me. To me left, down the railroad tracks, I knew the fence ended, but there was some large object laying across them that I did not notice, but I took my chances with going that way, as at this point I wanted nothing more than to go home.
I walked along, and realized that I was walking right next two several Anhydrous Ammonia tanks from the grain elevator that were leaking. One more obstacle in my way since it became difficult to breath, i covered my mouth and ran as fast as I could to the object laying across the tracks. When I reached it, I found it to be a 90-ft tall grain dryer that had been knocked down, however, there was a way to get around it and through the fence to my street. I took it, and noticed that there were powerlines down and a huge puddle right in front of my. I reluctantly tip-toed through it and walked past the trees and approached my street.
At this point in time I had brought myself together fairly well and thought for sure that when i got to my street and looked down towards my house, everything would be find, because i never noticed some of the more extensive damage that I had walked by. So, I walked to the corner and looked down, and nearly fell to my knees when I saw the warzone that my neighborhood resembled. Across the street were literally piles of wood, rafters, and metal where once 100-ft tall trees had stood. My house still obstructed from view. I saw people standing around in the street towards my house and walked to them, realizing that my dad was one of them. I was obviously relieved to see him, and eventually, my mom, my sister, and my neighbors, and my grandparents. Everyone was fine. I asked my dad about the house, thinking that now everything was in fact going to be alright, but he just shook his head. I looked to see that the entire roof was gone, and our yard which my parents prided themselves in taking such maticulous care of in shambles.
It was now getting dark, and I wanted to see the house quickly before we took off towards the shelter set up downtown. I found a way through the debris too my back door and had to kick in the door to get it to open. The first thing I saw was all of the dirt, mud, glass, and all of the belongings that were strewn about on the floor, as well as the ceiling which had collapsed in. I walked through the living room, got a shower of water that was ribbling from the ceiling, to my bedroom, where I found one of my cats scared in a corner, and a huge LP gas tank sitting on my bed, which had crashed through my window and shattered glass everywhere. I noticed checks and dirst and such had blown into my room as well, a lot of my stuff near my window was totaled. Howeveer, strangely, papers I had left on my desk were in their exact place where i had left them, and my laptop (which I am actually using as I type this) was just fine. I gathered a Bible and some photos (the only two things I grabbed), covered some electronics with blankets, stashed some yearbooks and my diploma in a drawer, and left the house for the night.
When we regrouped outside, the storm began to come back, and it was now dark, so we took shelter in my neighboring grandparents house which was still in decent condition, and spent the night there. I doubt I got much sleep that night, as the rain from the subsequent storms hammered the house, and I realized that all of the rain we were getting was falling straight into our house, ruining it beyond repair. I finally got to sleep, and woke up at dawn, anxious to start cleaning up.
The next 4-5 days were all a blur. THey were all hot, and humid, once again. Every day I worked from dusk to dawn, doing nothing but picking up. There was no real place to begin, no real way to measure how far we were getting, and certainly no hope as far as to what was next. I finally realized that my life was now going to be drastically different. I felt like a refugee everytime I would see the red cross vehicles drive by, as everyone would flock to them for the basics to keep us going, bottles of water and granola bars. It felt like true poverty when you saw tha national guard vehicles at every intersection, and the piles of rubble everywhere.
I was amazed by the amount of help that came to help my family and my town. That next morning I walked around town, surveying what damage other people had. One of the churches was one of the most hardest hit, as its entire roof was ripped right off, basically destroying it.
There is no way I could ever thank or even count all of the people that helped us. Literally, hundreds of volunteers, family members, and neighbors. It was the kind of thing that made me realize that there were still good people out there willing to help us. Relatives showed up early in the morning the first day, as did friends of the family. However, I was more amazed by the random people from places all over the midwest that came and just asked "what can we do to help" I am still shockd by the amont of donations people gave us from all across the country. I wish I could pay them all back, and I guess in a small way, this is a way I can do that.
The news media came and went, and got their interviews. I had ministers and grief counsellors come and talk to me and others, and I told them the story that I just told you. One minister was so inspired by my determination to get home that he asked my permssion to use it as his sermon the next sunday.
Cleanup continued for about 4 days, as we moved what we could salvage out of our house. We watched as our neighbors got back their water, their gas, and their electricity, and were able to stay in their homes. Ours was condemned with a red sign on the front door. For those 4 days, I did not have time to think, feel sorry for myself, as why it happened, or cry. I went to a community church service that sunday at the school in town (since both churches were unusable), and was probably the worst dressed I had ever been for such a thing. It was hard trying to contain my emotions when everyone was crying there, and eventually, I went back home, to my now empty room, sat in the corner, and cried, which was something i desperately needed to do.
That next tuesday, a week to the day of the tornado, I returned to work. Our house was also torn down to make way for building a new one, and we moved into our camper that would be our home for the next several months. I eventually moved to college, which became one of the greatest experiences of my life. I was glad to get away, and start everything over. In november, 4 months to the day of the tornado, my family moved into our new house that was completed, and things are as close to normal as they will ever be. In december, on Christmas Eve, 6 months to the day, the churches reopened for the first time. And now, I am here, reflecting on it once again. A trophy from the storm, my mangled street corner sign, sits as a trophy in my dorm room.
I realize that things could have been so much worse. No one died, or was even hurt. I don't care if you believe in God, but I certainly do, and I know he was watching over my family and everyone else in my down. I realized not to take the things I had for granted, because I was forced in an instant to face my greatest fears, and everything I knew to that point in my life, was different. I also realized how good people can be, and how grateful I am to everyone who has listened to me, helped me, and prayed for me, my family, and my town. There is still a long ways to go, and traumatic memory that will never be erased, but at least I know I am still here.
So, with that, if you didn't fall asleep reading it, it my story. Hopefully you understand me a bit better and got something good out of it.
~Marcus