Tornado Alley

My only visual aid for this post is going to be a picture of my Dad and his wife Christie. The picture is from my wedding and I know that is pathetic that I don't have any recent pics of them together but that is life. For those of you who don't know Dad and Christie bought a house in Oklahoma about 2 years ago. They have been renting it out while they were living in CA. the past 2 years. My dad is finally working in OK. but not living in the house b/c they have renters still living in it till May. So, since my dad is in OK and Christie is still in CA. till about the end of June she came out to see my dad. They bought their house in this gated community called "Oak Tree" and their best friends The Radigonda's live right across the street from them. While Christie was in town dad and her stayed at their friends house. Here is the email I got from my father on Monday night telling me of their first tornado experience....

"We had our first experience with a Tornado last night. We are staying at Ron & Glenda Radigonda's house this week which is right across the street from our house. We were out to dinner and Christie saw a storm warning appear on the TV in the restaurant. Ron told her that the storms were forming to the southwest of our homes so we better get home which was about 7:00pm. At about 8:30pm the TV weather man said that Edmond was in the path of one of three storms that were moving toward OKC. At 10:30pm the weatherman said that the storm would reach Edmond at around 1:30am. So now Christie was all excited about the storm with lots of lightning and the possibility of a Tornado. At 1:15am the sirens started going off in Edmond which woke Christie up and got her really excited. Ron turned on the TV just in time for the weatherman to tell us that the storm was only a half a mile away and heading in our direction. We could see the storm chasers on the road to the south of Ron's house and they were all moving to the east away from us. The weatherman asks his storm chaser where he is located and he tells him that he is in front of the Oak Tree south entrance which is "ours". He can see the storm front but has not seen the funnel cloud touchdown yet. Just as he says that, the power goes off in Ron’s house and we all run for the laundry room to hide. The storm goes right over the house with thunder, lightning, heavy rain and very high winds but no touchdown of a Tornado. At about 2:15am we all try and go back to sleep but listen to the sound of the wind all night. This morning we find out that the Tornado touch down about 1 mile northeast of our house, picked up a car and threw it across the street. That was Christie’s second night in OKC!!!"

Quite an experience to say the least! I am glad everyone was alright! If anyone didn't pick up on it in the email Christie LOVES STORMS! She would just love to go storm chasing sometime and apparently they do that sort of thing out there in OK. Crazy! If you ask me :)