I'm glad that you came through the calamity unharmed. Help your neighbors and try to convert them.

 

How did and how are your preps helping you?

 

We have a closet that is our safe room, in it we have water,food,flashlights,cell phone, etc. The power went out and
It hit so quick that we barely had time to get in the closet and it sounded
like the world was coming to an end and in 5 to 6 seconds it was gone.
I went outside surveyed the damage cranked the whole house backup generator and all my outside lighting and before I knew it all the neighbors without any type of lighting came to my house for flashlights or to call loved ones on my cell phone, some of the people were just wondering the streets in disbelief and i shock with no house now to live in or for shelter.
I let all my neighbors borrow flashlights and batteries, chainsaw gas, files for blades and even water.I had all my stuff in order and knew exactly where to get it.
Even if my house was gone I could of went to my backup cache and would of gotten my backup supplies.

Ok firstly I can't get over the damage

Secondly where are all the victims staying night after night? Are people who still have houses taking families in?

Thirdly thank yourself and your preps for surviving....you took control not "god"

The red cross put up a shelter in 2 places for the families without homes, however most opted to stay at motels since their insurance companies pay for it. The red cross temp shelters are really uncomfortable and in my opinion a last place to stay as long as I have money of my own and insurance.
Don't get me wrong the red cross is great for helping families, however I would rather help myself and help others and not look for a handout.

 

RockRiver, Thanks for posting and glad to hear you came out on top. Prepping isn't just for long term stuff, but as you point out, for the wrath of Mother Nature. She can be very unforgiving.

We currently live in an area that, for the most part, is insulated from tornado's, hurricanes, earthquakes, and such. But I have lived before in area which were under constant threat of huge and powerful storms. To overlook the possibility in our preparations, that the tornado will not come down our block, is sticking our head in the sand. Your post and photos are a grime reminder of what can happen in a moments notice......even to us that live out of the storms paths.....it got my attention....Thanks.

Best Regards......Eagle Six

 

^^^^ yep...well said

 

Wow, so thankful you made it through that destruction.

Had several friends in that path who were hunkered in their safest house area or basement with their BOB on their backs.

 

I'm glad you received little damage and uninjured. Don't forget to praise God.

 

Ok firstly I can't get over the damage

Secondly where are all the victims staying night after night? Are people who still have houses taking families in?

Thirdly thank yourself and your preps for surviving....you took control not "god"

 

Im very glad you made it through. Keep safe where you are!

 

Nice job Rocky!

 

Glad you came through it! This gives me hope that things I have been prepping for will work and keep me alive.
Tornadoes have always terrified me, and I'm thankful I live in an area where they rarely occur. You have cojones the size of bowling balls just for living in an area that gets them regularly.

 

I am so glad you came through okay. Don't count on your neighbors changing their attitudes toward getting ready. Most take an attitude of it happened once it will not happen again here. Congratulations on being one who understands and prepares. Good for you. GB

 

Rocky, glad to see you made through with little damage and had what you needed for yourself and neighbors. There's nothing like being prepared.

BTW, we don't live too far from each other. I'm down along the southern part of the beltway. Your pic's reminds me of hurricane Hugo when it hit here.

 

Good to hear you made it through safely! After the dust settles might be a good time to talk with your neighbors and work out a community plan. Many hands make less work. You might have an easier time getting them to see the importance of preparing while this is still somewhat fresh in their minds. "Strike while the iron is hot".

It is true that most people forget too quickly... even events like you have shown us will fade in the minds of many as time passes. In my area, there was massive flooding from hurricane Irene... many homes, farms and businesses were lost. Now, just a few months later, it is hardly talked about... most people just continue to live as before to the best of their ability and have done nothing noticeable to protect themselves from future events.

 

About the only good i have seen from a tornado is a large supply of free firewood..The devils finger does kick bottoms..

 

Can't even imagine that type of storm! Let alone be in one like that. I grew up in Minnesota and we had our share of tornado's but I was never involved in one personally. Glad you and your family are safe. It does good to have just in case the supplies for something like this.

 

Glad to hear that you and the family came through that okay.

Anyone else look at the pics and wonder how in the world that Corvette could be unscratched with all the destruction around it?

 

That was an enclosed half brick garage that vet was in and now it is gone, The brick and roof even got sucked up somehow and throwed in the field behind the vet. however the vet did get a little damage.

 

So you got lucky and the tornado missed your house. Thats great news.

 

Glad to hear you made it thru ok Rocky, even happier when I read you immediately were helping neighbours and friends from the get go.
So many on the forum indicate their first reaction is to reach for a gun, nice to see humanity rules in your heart. Well done and kudos to you.

 

I spent the weekend in the mountains and so got to watch all the live Charlotte feeds.

I have to say I will never live in a vinyl-sided house after seeing those feeds.

They seem to have absolutely no shear strength (essentially collapsed like a house of cards).

I saw at least one home where the entire second story had "slid off" and smashed to pieces beside the relatively intact first story (saw the same thing last year w/ storms near High Point, NC)

Do your observations jibe with mine? (masonry siding held up better than vinyl?)

 

Rocky you made the statement above that you barely had time.
I want to remind everyone that these "tornaders" are very fast on the scene when you least expect them. Here in Okla.I have seen and survived a couple.They both snuck up and with no warning, hit and left very fast.The F4 and F5 tornado seems to be an everincreasing thing.You MUST be underground or in a Safe Room. Period

 

Grabbed the GHB from the BOV and a case of water and put them in our safe room. Used the emergency radio. We were prepared!

 

Glad you-all made it. They are killers for sure!

 

Great you helped your nieghbors but in a Nat'l emergency ,hope you won't be considered the neighborhood Walmart.Hope you didn't tell everyone you had long term preps. Only FEMA recommended storm preps of 72 hrs.Sorry to sound cold, only realistic.

 

Those pictures are horrible. But the one that strikes me is the white Suzuki. That branch that landed on the little SUV was not that big! Doesn't take much to crush a vehicle apparently.

Great post OP.