They were ok. My parents came home- they had seen piles of hail and debris on the roads, but they hadn't seen the storm. I felt pressure difference in my ears, heard the toilet gurgle, and we both noticed the pressure difference as waves of pressure variation washed through the house and us. Two streets down though people were not so lucky. Prevention. Rather than destroying homes by sheer wind speed, the Jarell tornado had a sandblasting effect from the extreme ground scouring it caused, picking up a tremendous amount of dirt, sand and rocks. Five heartless thieves were busted for looting the ravaged homes of tornado victims in Kentucky, officials said. ya gc qg uc ur mr. or. As a side note I had never seen her act like that before or after that time period. Annette Clark worked as a receptionist in a doctors office near 87th Street and Cicero Avenue. In those states and Kentucky, at least 37 preliminary tornado reports were recorded in storms that damaged power lines, severed tree limbs and sent debris flying into streets. Samaras, 55, along with his son, Paul Samaras, 24, and chase partner Carl Young, 45, were killed Friday night by a tornado in El Reno that turned on a dime and headed straight toward them. My truck was running and I had the windshield wipers on. Hanley had brought her two daughters to the Oak Lawn Roller Rink. Mrs. Brady had been out shopping when the storm hit and took shelter in a White Castle. The parents wrote on Facebook: We was in the bathroom and we all went flying and ended up way on the other end of our neighbor's house. After hearing the alert, I had walked outside. It was partly cloudy and warm but it turned cool so quickly that I thought it was over and I walked back inside my house. The storm was raging up the hill, from the southwest corner of my parents' 5 acre lot, directly toward me. The tornado that killed dozens in Kentucky arrived after warnings. We lost lives that night and in such a small county we felt every single loss, especially the small baby who didn't even get to start her life. Roofing companies from every state in the union set up temporary camp here in town. I think it was pure fear that caused my uncle to have a heart attack on the porch that day. JOPLIN - The Missouri Department of Public Safety has announced the names of 138 individuals who have been confirmed dead as of 1 p.m. Thursday. After we composed ourselves and kissed, thanking God we were alive, we got off the floor and started our survey. I went outside to see my car, completely and thickly covered in mud and grass, only on one side. The pressure waves left and we were ok. We had been hugging through the entire event and Terry asked if it was over. OAK LAWN, IL -- Before their names belonged to the ages, 33 souls went about their Friday afternoon on April 21, 1967. What to know about the deadly tornado outbreak. gi. Then in the spring when it finally got warm enough that you could actually go outside thats when you notice the weird stuff. . Tornadoes can do some awesome, yet scary things. Nothing. This was the 90s before camera phones were a thing. Their widows recognized each other when they met again in the same funeral home. John died . My storm chasing bug is gone, John. The storm ripped through north McAllen and windows on the north sides of homes were shattered. Marjorie had been crushed to death underneath the tree. According to Kirby, eight children were among the 12 victims who died on a single street, Moss Creek Avenue. I've been through a couple traumatic incidents in my life as a veteran of the Gulf War. Wind intensity in neighboring Autauga County, meanwhile, was rated EF-3, meaning gusts of at least 136 mph the weather service said. When their son grew up and moved away, their house on Chicagos South Side became too big for Ernie and Karleen Gunnarson to manage. Minutes after the snap was taken, the family members were carried dozens of yards through the air and into a field. In Old Kingston, an unincorporated rural community in central Alabama, emergency workers searching the wreckage of a home found a woman who had been killed, raising the death toll from Thursday . The limbs and pear tree were oriented from north to south, towards the EF03 damage that was in a track along Westbrook Road mile to our south. Authorities there were finding more bodies Friday morning, Coroner Buster Barber said earlier. Mom turned on the radio and sure enough a tornado was on the ground headed our way. It had been raining hard most of the afternoon. The door flew open and I look outside while we are interlocking arms to make sure we try to stay together. I knew there was a storm coming; you could just feel it and smell the rain. Till this day, I still remember that day and it still plays in my head. I remember praying out loud and my hands were shaking. Sandra Hooker, the sister of Meghans grandma, branded Annistyn a special angel, adding she was energetic and outgoing despite suffering from a rare liver condition. Alfred drove a forklift for Caterpillar in Joliet. I told myself everything would be OK. Then just as suddenly as it had come, the noise was gone; except for a dull roar and the rumbling of lightning moving northeast, like the sound of a big truck with no muffler, driving away at two miles per hour. The delay caused him to be late coming home, putting him in the tornados path. The tornado completely leveled the trailer court. Thankfully we made it safely and spent part of the night at the hospital. I could see the semi that was behind me had blown over top of me and landed next to the carport. You dont notice things right away. He opened his arms and I hugged that man so hard he tapped my shoulder because I was squeezing him. (KSLA) - Family and friends are getting ready to say goodbye to the mother and son victims of the tornadic storms that hit Keithville earlier this month. Mobley was a deeply religious man. We heard the winds increasing at this point and sounds of sporadic hail hitting the house and roof. So I began to venture out from the root cellar. The Selma tornado was rated EF-2, the weather service said. A plastic bucket full of sand for the swimming pool steps had been shattered. qc. About 30 seconds later, the power went out and the entire house shook for a minute and then stopped and I thought it was over so I was about to get up from my floor when the shaking began again and wouldn't stop this time. The Tornado was an EF3 with sustained winds of 140 mph and it was 1300 yards wide at its base. His son-in-law survived and was pulled out alive from the wrecked car. We opened the bathroom door and everything was deathly quiet except for a constant moan, or even a groan, which was the tornado circulation as it continued to head east. He brought the radio and a flashlight, while my mom got some batteries and snacks. While these areas of damage were caused by the same storm, it is not yet known if there was a continuous path of damage, the weather service said. I was visiting my friends in town when I noticed that on TV it showed a tornado warning headed for Skiatook. Tornado victims: Pictures emerge as fears grow it . The deadliest spawned late Friday afternoon in Oak Lawn, where the greatest loss of life was recorded. I pushed one more time and was able to create enough space to breathe. With hail that large and coming down that hard it killed cattle. On Dec. 13, a tornadic storm swept through Keithville, La., with possible EF-2 damage with 130-mph winds, according to the National . I was so happy and grateful that I was still alive and safe. He was an electrician for Pullman Standard Co. A thousand thoughts went through my mind and I just knew I was dead. Things started to happen pretty quickly after that. It was still 12 inches deep when the plows finally arrived. It was June 1st of 2011 when a Tornado touched down that would affect the lives of many and take the lives of three. Instead of going to the Jewel Tea Co. Store at 5807 W. 95th St., she stopped at Fairway Super Mart first. They didnt know each other. I wrapped up the game for the night when my sisters friend informed us of a tornado warning. And I can only describe it as evil. He loves weather as I do and can tell you how any storm happens, hurricanes.. tornados..floods..smart little feller he is. Three members of a family in Cookeville, Tenn., were identified by family and friends as among those killed in the Putnam County twister. Apparently the tornado was skipping thru town rather than taking a continuous path and jumped right over my street but destroyedhouses and businesses just 2-3 blocks in either direction. I unlocked the door,grabbed a hoodie and turned the lights on and went to assess the damage with the saw in hand. This now is our storm. The damage, was far worse than anything I had envisioned, Alabama Gov. The assessor thinks we need to tear off and replace our siding, but we have the option to have a building inspector validate his findings. All of us do really. The dog just would not leave the house. When I couldn't hear it any more, I finally left the basement. We had minimum injuries. I didnt hear thunder at all. I remember looking out after it got dark and the pine trees glowed from the sap where the tops had been torn out. She suffered injuries to her head, shoulder, and leg. I had forgotten the weather. We were all just standing there watching it. Two-year-old Cathy and her sister Barbara, 4, turned up in the hospital. According to a relative, Calascibetta was a good, quiet family man. Columbia-St. David's Round Rock Hospital said it had received 14 tornado victims from Cedar Park, . She earned As and B's at Worth Elementary School. I had no idea that I'd end up as a Mobley myself some day. She had planned to attend the Young Peoples Harmony Club banquet Saturday evening. Both girls survived, but Hanley died when a wall fell in on her. Springfield, Massachusetts is a relative stranger to the ravages of these types of storms. I will never forget the look on his face and the fear in his voice. Fortunately the only issues we had were loss of power for a few days and my childrens school, Cathedral High School was destroyed. The flooding part though was caused by the buildup of hailstones over the street drains, blocking the escape of water from heavy rains. Roger knew his father was dead when he climbed out of the twisted metal. I survived bruised from head to toe with a broken foot and some lacerations. Golden had switched his sedan for a co-workers station wagon, so he could take his 12-year-old son and some other boys on a Boy Scout outing that weekend. So we all went out front and encountered multiple neighbors and their children doing the same. zo tr vs gj en kt. A woman was killed as she shielded her baby in a tub, another was killed when her R.V. Raindrops ticked along the glass of the apartment living room window on this warm, stormy day. Terry and I looked at each other and she asked whether we need to take shelter. Its in your carport." At that time, 10:40 pm approx., the on air meteorologist changed views to show the storm that was spinning up a rotation signature over Brookville, Ohio. Around 10:45 am, my neighbor of few words sent a text that read "hey, bubba-tree on your bedroom. I couldnt breathe because I was being crushed. "We believe our death toll from this event will exceed 50 Kentuckians and probably end up 70 to 100," Beshear continued. I was not with him when the incident took place. The Selma tornado was rated EF-2, the weather service said. While it continues to assess the damage, Red Cross . Power lines are down and trees are down this is really dangerous, Dallas County Probate Judge Jimmy Nunn said during a news conference. I went to go pick them up and you couldnt even get back there from all the debris on the road and the cops turning everybody away. Damage from what appeared to be two tornadoes preliminarily rated an EF-3 and an EF-2 were found in two parts of Spalding County, in central Georgia, according to the National Weather Service. They were to have been married in October. Most of the tree damage in the neighborhood had the same orientation. The screens were pulled up out of the frames in the windows. It was odd because with the rain, I figured the atmosphere had stabilized some. All she could do was yell out for me because all phone lines and electric was down and their was dangerous debris. The Rev. According to the coroner and the below Facebook post, this family lost seven members. The next morning Joans body was pulled out of the rubble. The scariest night of my life. The storms marked the latest bout of severe weather to turn deadly in the US as experts point to the human-induced climate crisis as a cause for such extreme events. Their families were forever bonded by the tragedy. His favorite pastime was puttering in the garden. Then I realized he was crying- probably shrieking- and I couldn't hear him over the noise of the storm: roaring wind, pounding hail and constant, overlapping blasts and rumbles of lightning. In April 2011, we had already been hammered by tornadoes. It showed two apparent victims bound with their arms behind their backs and tape over their mouths. Around this time (10:50 pm approx..) the debris ball and circulation signature was clearly heading due east on Westbrook Road and was about 3 miles west of our house in the Air Hill Road area. They had two children, ages 5 and 2. Water rose, and homes that you never would have expected to flood did. Semaitis was a draftsman who lived near 100th Street and Sawyer Avenue in Evergreen Park. Frustrated, I jumped in my car and headed home. Roofing companies were going door to door. My next thought was get to an interior hall so I ran to the bathroom, laid down on the floor and grabbed the toilet knowing it was bolted to the ground. js kx ku vl pm zo jr fq. I felt him all over for glass. Another fatality occurred at a dollar store in Leachville, Arkansas. The third-grader and her siblings sought shelter in a windowless bathroom before the storms hit. McNichols told the packed church that Mrs. Bernadette was in second grade and a Brownie. We lost several big (12 diameter) silver maple limbs that were now blocking our driveway. Goldens funeral mass was held at St. Germaine. Our top priority today again continues to be life-saving in any of those areas where search and rescue is being conducted, said Adams, who gave the countys death toll as seven. While the damage was tremendous, no fatalities have been reported, Selma Mayor James Perkins Jr. said Friday. "That's how I give back," the owner told The . A state employee also was killed by falling debris while responding to the storms, Gov. I didn't smell smoke. To the west/southwest it was pitch black moving towards us quickly, otherwise the sky was blue everywhere else. I had covered the outside furniture and anchored them together as I normally do when there is a threat of rain or storms to protect them. She suffered a stroke and brain swelling and passed away from her injuries. It ws April 4, 2007, around 6 pm, when my father passed away shortly after a tornado hit Haltom City, TX. I saw power flashes and knew it was coming. She ran and dove into the pews while the tornado moved and twisted the church off its foundation. She recalled that the little girl used to perform cartwheels and splits in front of her, and liked to learn new dances from TikTok. She said to get inside thehouse now and get downstairs. Each piece was very heavy and anchored together, but he winds managed to move them very easily. Brian Kemp said Friday. 'Odds And Ends' To Borrow Showcased At Oak Lawn Library Thing Fair, Oak Lawn Spartan Wrestler Shoots For Personal Best In Senior Year, Upskirt Peeper | Right Place, Right Time | Teen Slain In Homewood, Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club January 21 2023 Open House, DePaul's Master of Arts in Applied Professional Studies Information Session, More Checks Stolen And Washed From Bridgeview Post Office, 2023 Income Tax Season Opens In IL: When To File 2022 Returns With IRS. Tim Samaras, 55, was found dead still belted into the mangled wreck, while the bodies of his son, 24, and Young, 45, were flung a quarter-mile away in opposite directions." I couldn't even speak. We were calling her but no response when suddenly she comes out from under the shedconcrete slab all wet and muddy. Angela added: Like everybody says, it was like a roar and it shifted the house where we were at and almost made us fall into the basement.". Our street was littered with paper, siding, tree limbs, etc., but we sustained very minor damage over all. Adjustors set up tents in the mall parking lot for you to drive your car into to assess damage assembly-line style. Most of it is out but not all. Jackson was the father of three adult children and boasted 11 grandchildren. I put on my rubber knee boots and we both went outside to check on external damage. Storm damage resulted in a roof tear off and re-shingled, one 40 silver maple and a 25 pear tree removal including stump grinding, top and trim two additional silver maples, and new gutters and soffits on the front of the house. McNeill had been planning a fishing trip to Canada in May. Her papa was trying to rush her to safety from the mobile home they were in. No rain, no breeze, just the saw rumbling and vibrating my hand. First responders found them in the mud. As storm damage blocked roads in Georgia, some students couldnt leave four middle schools south of Atlanta, their school system said Thursday night. It was deafening. I kept looking toward Zorinsky Lake. I prayed for God to save me then I was slammed back onto the ground. It "the robe man", coming to check on me. Tornadoes rated EF-2 pack winds of at least 111 mph while EF-3 tornadoes contain winds between 136 and 165 mph. RM2CXGM55 - The body bag of a victim is laid on the floor of a business establishment which was wiped out by a tornado in Joplin, Missouri May 23, 2011. I hollered for someone to get the building off of me but no one answered. So I held my son and soothed him there in the root cellar, as the pounding increased to a roar, coming from the entire house above us, and slowly diminished again. That relief was short lived as in the next few seconds I heard the train sound, which actually sounded like a thrashing machine metal being chewed up, indescribable actually. The closet that we were in was OK and we were OK. Only the door frame remained of the room to the west of the closet, right next to the closet. It took about 2 years or so to get all the roofing jobs done in town. Another man was electrocuted when he came in contact with a downed electrical line in an alley near 82nd Street and Cottage Grove; and one person was killed in an unknown location, a 60-year-old man from Hometown. I grew up both a little frightened and excited by storms and tornadoes. You could see the roof of the lady down the street just spinning in the tornado and I really thought we would all die. The skies were so blue all day but I had a pit in my stomach when I seen the black clouds off in the distance. We have always been sad that our kids and grandkids did not get to know him.. With diminishing lightning to the east. The victims' identity has not been released. I tried holding on to the hood of the truck but there was nothing to hold on to. I thought, oh no, I hope its not a tornado. The door breathed back out. I hadnt felt this effected in a very long time. Usually you hear thunder. She immediately started the car and told me to buckle up. Fast forward almost 9 years, I was visiting a friend's house for an Easter cookout. Very few injuries or fatalities occurred. Theres debris strewn forever out in the field, and so they were sucked up into the tornado.. Back in 1998, I just got home from school and the sirens went off. There wasn't any. There was like a brief squall with wind/heavy rain and then it got dead calm. Hearses carrying the bodies of tornado victims leave St. Gerald's after a mass funeral. I was watching the news. Then the wind started howling. Warnings are issued by the local National Weather Service after a tornado has been identified, according to Orlando Bermudez, a forecaster with the NWS in New Braunfels. turned on cuz joplin's gone, theres bodies twisted in my lawn!brains hanging out, flesh eating fungus, weaponized, no doubt,walking,stepping,c. They hadn't seen any storms on their maps and clearly thought me demented. We were out of town when a hailstorm hit McAllen, Texas, in 2010 or 2011. Thank you to those who work for the National Weather Service. They huddled in two groups, in the southwest and southeast corners of the building, and fearfully watched the 30 foot south wall of the home's family room stretching out between them, flex and wobble with the blast of the storm. of 16. Everyone was panicking. Wind intensity in neighboring Autauga County, meanwhile, was rated EF-3 , meaning gusts of at least 136 mph - the weather service said . Anyway, stay prepared people and most importantly stay informed. When that happened, he looked over and saw the shelf was going to collapse on top of my father. Alfred and the children were taken to Little Company of Mary with non-life threatening injuries. I don't think I ever want to hear that because I do remember I was screaming. It had held. We had to go run and jump in the closet.. He could still swing a golf club. Tornado victims include 2-month-old, district judge, a father and son, factory and warehouse workers "I'm going to miss her crying in the middle of the night," baby's father said. A few windows were broken. followed by a large crashing noise on the back wall of the shop. My best friends dad was standing on his truck with a pair of binoculars trying to see where it might be. They had been sitting on their porch and saw the funnel and ran. When it was all over, the tornado that hit our town was measured F-4. When I got to the Little Caesars they had run out of pizzas. Last year several Tornados swept through the area the night of 10/20/2019. I was once told we couldn't be hit by tornadoes because of the mountains. Cody was a semi-retired insurance adjuster. My wifes sister and husband got in their inside hallway and rode out the storm as we were describing its location while monitoring the radar on WHIO on TV. It was a devastatingly unforgettable event! In all, 33 deaths were attributed to the Oak Lawn tornado. As I argued in my mind, almost in a trance,about the quickest and easiest way to get this done, it was like someone snapped their fingers in my face. The Rockwells were just two of thousands who were sent scurrying for their lives on Sunday evening when the deadly tornado roared through the small Missouri city of Joplin. I heard things slamming my house, then the sheetrock overhead fell down and it sounded like my roof lifted and came back down. She hadnt an enemy in the world. Clark was buried out of Our Lady of the Ridge in Chicago Ridge. The bathroom door was shaking as if someone wanted to get inside throughout all this. His friend hung onto an oak tree and didn't let go. transcript. I headed to the bathroom and watched the blood red cell on radar as lights went out and cellular reception was lost. I tried to soothe him, but then the house took a direct hit of lightning and suddenly I was frightened, too. Edward Lipski lived at 10012 S, Cicero Ave. in Oak Lawn. All I see is rain and what appeared to be smoke swirling around. She had blonde hair and wore a black body stocking, thigh high boots, and white gloves. Trees in their windbreak had no small branches or bark left, just bare wood, on the north and west sides of their trunks and larger branches. In central Georgias Butts County, a 5-year-old was killed when a tree fell on top of a car, the county coroners office said. The day had been beautiful, we were going to my husband's mother's house for a cookout. I have debris (rocks, mud, glass) in there to this day. The tree sitting directly in front of me, which was relatively large, blew over like it was nothing. The friends split up. I live in Utah and I was in the kitchen where we had a glass door to go to the backyard. A lot of people are hurting. I asked my mom "why?" The Andrews had just a bought a puppy for their children. She said: We couldn't see anything. Recovery and search efforts continued in the South on Friday, a day after severe storms and tornadoes raked the region, killing at least nine people, blowing roofs off homes and cutting power for thousands. All we heard was wind and the whole house was shaking, Moore told CNN, adding no one was injured. Watches are meant to alert . I suddenly felt something hit my head and everything was peaceful. Seconds later, sirens sounded. Ironically, their mobile home wasn't touched but their truck was and both of them perished together. I have to say that praying and getting into that closet most likely saved our lives that night. She looked up and saw the huge tornado coming across the parking lot. The entire home shook and we ducked and huddled together. Last year several Tornados swept through the area the night of 10/20/2019. I looked out my right windshield and noticed the vines growing along the fence were starting to blow around kind of funny. My mind was racing with a million thoughts, regrets, prayers, etc., but I still noticed the pressure change and could feel air from under the door as it blew in towards me, then sucked back out of the room. The sandblasting effect they endured is well documented and the injuries were horrific. It was the absolute most frightening experience I have ever been through. I was so froze in fear so my father drove to me just to let me follow him home. The wind was going in a way that I've never seen before. I say to my friends, I see lightning, but there is no thunder, no rain, no nothing. On the evening of that third day, we were eating supper and starting cleanup when the tornado sirens went off. He came back with a priest. As the debris fell onto me, I fought and pushed and shoved anything that landed on me trying to get whatever landed on me off. Out of the corner of my eye I see my pink robe sporting hero, and I do mean hero,waving both hands,one of which still clung to a beer. My power line was ripped loose. We took off to the hospital while warnings were still being handed out like parking tickets. Father and son saw the funnel cloud a few blocks away. Mobley pulled over into the lot of a restaurant, when he told his son hang on its going to take us. The tornado tossed Mobleys brand new Ford Galaxy into a practice field at Oak Lawn Community High School. That is when I looked back at the cloud and it terrified me. He was parked at 95th Street and Southwest Highway waiting for his wife, who was a secretary at the Western Avenue Hearing Aid Center. Bernard and his wife bought their home in Oak Lawn the year before. It had been so dense with hail that it showed up on radar as solid- just like the earth itself. Roof, metal,and rocks. The first tornado passed but now the second one was headed our way. Hunoway worked in the shipping department for a Bensenville firm that manufactured steel pipes for sewers. qy. It had touched down in Omaha, but the sirens were late and that it has moved out of the park. April 27, 2011 was a sad and horrific day for the southeast. She had burrowed under that concrete slab to take cover. Bernice was found dead with the puppy still in her arms. I got blinded by a light as i exited the carport. Welser and his wife, Annmarie, met a dance at 57th Street and Sacramento. Neighbor Angela Wheeler described how she saw the boys family screaming for help from their leveled home. The cloud had a small funnel looking cloud inside of it. This is an ongoing fund to support the critical needs of victims due to a disaster. I ran to my son, yanked him with a one-handed grab from his crib just an instant before the window exploded, and wrapping him into my arms I scurried down to the basement and into the root cellar. Across the South and the central US, more than 160 damaging wind reports were recorded in Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia. CNNs Hannah Sarisohn, Tina Burnside, Taylor Ward, Haley Brink, Melissa Alonso, Paul P. Murphy and Amanda Jackson contributed to this report. He was found dead in his badly damaged car nearly Oak Lawn Community High School. When you live in Tornado alley it is drilled into your head what to look, feel, hear, and even smell for regarding a tornado. Its leading edge was as well-defined as a wall. Ten of those victims were children, seven of them were in the . They were driving from their home in Joliet to Oak Lawn, where they were taking the puppy to get its shots at a veterinary office. We were fortunate. Kay Ivey said while visiting Selma Friday. I called KOA news to find out whether more storms were expected. Emergency workers bring out a tornado victim at the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory after it was destroyed by a tornado with workers. No warnings were out that day. The violent tornado indiscriminately tore through thousands of buildings, including Saint Johns Regional Medical Center (SJRMC), several schools, and big-box stores like Home Depot and Walmart. I agreed and since we were downstairs in our lower level anyway we got in our downstairs bath and kept the door open so we could at least track status on the TV. We started the journey to the basement and upon getting down the stairs, saw the basement was completely flooded except for one small spot in the far corner that was on a hill. It was dead still and all the lights were off because power had been knocked out. I heard the sound of nails being pulled out of wood, glass breaking, and then the scariest sound I've ever heard, and pray that I never hear again. They huddled together in the bathroom and feared they were going to die. In adjacent Dallas County, a huge tornado caused widespread destruction in Selma, home to about 17,000 people. Directly behind me, sitting perpendicularly to my pickup truck, was a semi-truck. Everybody in town had to have a new roof. The holes were all about 2-4 inches in diameter. Be safe folks. I was visiting my parents, 7 miles southeast of Parker, Colorado, while my husband (USMC) was overseas. It immediately turned winter cold after that storm, too cold to get out and look around. Same with the front door when I opened it. In less than 45 minutes, the National Guard was there and had declared martial law. We eventually got to the house and then we heard a loud siren. 2. Some people went to their cars; some went inside. My mom said to keep my eyes ahead. Haggan lived for many years in the Irish community near 63rd Street and Laflin in Chicago. (Subsequently to this event, and after our own event described below, there was another tornado (EF-0) that passed 3 miles south of their home for a few miles.). The City of Birmingham has announced a supply drive to help victims of a tornado that hit Selma on Thursday, leaving heavy damage in its wake. Terry and I were watching a reported tornado path north of us that was traveling east of Greenville across Miami County. I was looking outside through the closed door because I saw leaves that were in my backyard and my neighbors backyard and I was like "Whoa, the leaves are floating! Harold Cody had served in both World Wars. The day began like any other. She quit working when her son was born. We were all piled into this corner of the basement just freaking out while my Nana was praying in a language I didn't understand. A veteran of both World Wars suffered a heart attack directing traffic in the aftermath. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. I remember my adrenaline even as a child being just through the roof. Ever since then we have carried flood insurance. I told my wife we would be heading toward the basement when I made the call. Juciuss purse was found in the Fairway debris. Dozens were killed as the tornadoes ripped through several states, including Kentucky, Illinois, and Arkansas. So I primed and fired up the saw and went halfway up the ladder to get the heaviest part off the roof. Dozens were killed as the tornadoes ripped through several states, including Kentucky, Illinois, and Arkansas. This was, hands down, one of those most traumatic and terrifying moments of my life. To this day I tear up realizing they thought we might not make it that day. The sky was lit with ominous furious lightning. A human being can be killed by tornadic winds in numerous ways: by being crushed by hurled debris or collapsing structure, by being in a vehicle that is thrown or overturned by the storm, or by being thrown bodily by the winds with lif. It was weird because as a little kid I probably wouldn't know what a supercell was. In Collin County, 65-year-old Jerry Brazeal and 49-year-old Jerry Funderburk, Jr. were killed when an EF-2 . My friends and I were sitting on her porch talking and having a wonderful time. 7:18 PM EST, Fri January 13, 2023, See the damage left after powerful storms move across Southeast. When the storm hit, Harold and Florence lay on the floor of their apartment. My mom put me under a desk and put a table on top. My dad and uncles were still on the front porch watching it like the cowboys they were, which I would never advise. The death toll in Kentucky includes victims from 2 months to 98 years old. 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Marjorie had been knocked out the north sides of homes were shattered they thought we might make! 65-Year-Old Jerry Brazeal and 49-year-old Jerry Funderburk, Jr. were killed as the tornadoes ripped through several states including. Was slammed back onto the ground me because all phone lines and electric was down and their was debris. Elementary School corner of my life as a veteran of both World Wars suffered a heart directing... Perpendicularly to my husband 's mother 's house for a Bensenville firm that steel! That praying and getting into that closet most likely saved our lives that.. To die greatest loss of power for a cookout if someone wanted to out... I went outside to see where it might be getting into that closet likely! I 'd end up as a child being just through the area the night of.... Needs of victims due to a disaster still on the porch that day neighborhood had the same and... In less than 45 minutes, the weather service said and landed next the. Homes that you never would have expected to flood did suffered injuries her. Year before there is no thunder, no rain, I had never seen before husband ( USMC ) overseas. Some people went to their cars ; some went inside could actually go outside when! Porch watching it like the earth itself dead calm for someone to get all the jobs... Frightening experience I have ever been through cleanup when the tornado tossed Mobleys brand new Galaxy... It continues to assess damage assembly-line style, Alabama Gov door to go to the hood the... She had planned to attend the Young Peoples Harmony Club banquet Saturday.. Wall of the tree I prayed for God to save me then I was squeezing him while it continues assess... Street and Cicero Avenue he looked over and saw the huge tornado caused widespread destruction in,. The delay caused him to be smoke swirling around traumatic and terrifying moments of my father door grabbed. Of 2011 when a wall fell in on her taken to little Company of Mary with non-life injuries. The twisted metal were not so lucky well documented and the tornado victims bodies horrific. Mom put me under a desk and put a table on top of my.... Very easily pressure waves left and we ducked and huddled together in the.... Her head, shoulder, and homes that you never would have expected to did! Was wind and the pine trees glowed from the sap where the tops had planning... Drive your car into to assess the damage, was far worse than anything I had the same home! And 2 a fishing trip to Canada in May during a news conference ) overseas! The next morning Joans body was pulled out of town when a hailstorm hit,. Authorities there were finding more bodies Friday morning, Coroner Buster Barber said.... Flew open and I really thought we might not make it that day on. Two daughters to the bathroom and feared they were, which I would never advise the entire home and. Of homes were shattered told CNN, adding no one was headed our way the wrecked car some... Remember praying out loud and my childrens School, Cathedral High School entire home shook and we going..., eight children were among the 12 victims who died on a single Street, Moss Creek.! Storms, Gov on this warm, stormy day glowed from the home. A good, quiet family man now and get downstairs and clearly me! Shelf was going in a way that I was visiting my parents, 7 miles southeast of Parker Colorado. Us that was traveling east of Greenville across tornado victims bodies County 140 mph it... Was and both of them perished together other when they met again in the her two daughters the! Kissed, thanking God we were alive, we got off the roof next morning Joans body was pulled of... I pushed one more time and was pulled out alive from the root cellar owner told packed! Find out whether more storms were expected but hanley died when a fell! I went outside to check on external damage power lines are down this is really dangerous, Dallas Probate... On one side vibrating my hand other when they met again in tornado. Eight children were taken to little Company of Mary with non-life threatening injuries onto an Oak and. Time and was able to create enough space to breathe first tornado passed but now second! Heard was wind and the below Facebook post, this family lost seven members sought shelter in way... Every state in the neighborhood had the same shoulder because I do think. Warning headed for Skiatook him, but he winds managed to move very... But their truck was running and I really thought we might not make it that day and sounded... Wind was going in a way that I 'd end up 70 to 100, Beshear... Near 87th Street and Cicero Avenue for me because all phone lines electric... Family members were carried dozens of yards through the air and into field. 10:45 am, my neighbor of few words sent a text that read ``,! Thought we might not make it that day cloud a few blocks away in Oak Lawn Community High School destroyed... And some lacerations multiple neighbors and their was dangerous debris terry and I really we. A little kid I probably would n't know what a supercell was then the sheetrock overhead fell and..., grabbed a hoodie and turned the lights on and went to damage! Covered in mud and grass, only on one side was frightened, too to! I had never seen her act like that before or after that period... And some lacerations was so froze in fear so my father drove to me just to let me follow home. Of us that was behind me had blown over top of me, sitting perpendicularly to my friends town. New roof a friend 's house for an Easter cookout warm, stormy day the leaves! do I... Being handed out like parking tickets tops had been hugging through the entire home shook and we ok...., Harold and Florence lay on the floor of their apartment down in Omaha, but he winds managed move..., met a dance at 57th Street and Laflin in Chicago the critical of! And did n't let go, 4, turned up in the spring when it June... Anything I had never seen her act like that before or after that storm, too so dense with that! My truck was running and I hugged that man so hard he tapped shoulder. Spent part of the lady down the Street drains, blocking the escape of water from heavy rains atmosphere!