You know how they say, when you hear the sound of a train in the middle of a storm, it's a tornado. Well, guess what, I heard my first train last night.
We're fine, the house is fine, the animals are fine. But man oh man you, should see my yard. Major tree damage in the back yard. All the wood (decking wood 20 lbs. each, fence posts (the big ones), and 2x6's 12ft. long (must weigh 30 lbs.) I had on the deck is on the ground. (And the only reason I'm telling you this, is that it takes two people to move each piece of wood.) I have all kinds of branches in my front yard. I don't have trees in my front yard...don't ask me how they got there.
I am lucky, I know. I have no idea if it was a tornado but man, they were some heavy duty winds. The tree at my neighbor's was split completely in half (poor tree). And I'm no expert, but no one else on the street has any visible damage (that I can see from my upstairs windows) so my theory is, the tornado (or whatever it was) got the neighbor's tree, hopped the fence, swirled across the back of my house and bounced around in my yard before it went somewhere else.
Now I don't know if you've ever been in a tornado. (I pray to God that you never are.) But what I want to tell you here is, the sound of the train... it's true. Only I blew it off. Because it didn't sound like one. Subconciously I said to myself, that's the sound of a train. But then I said, no, it can't be.
(Because yesterday when I picked up Monster Baby from school a train came by and we all heard it. The kids went crazy when the conductor blew his whistle.)
It's not a full blown train sound. More like the subtle nuance of a train sound. Which gave me pause thinking it wasn't really a tornado (which it might not have been) but I threw Monster Baby and the only dog in the house into the bathroom. Listen to your subconscious people. If you think it sounds like the slightest sound from a train, take heed.
I heard a live rattlesnake rattle its tail one day. It's a sound I'll never forget.
I don't know what the hell rumbled through my yard last night, but I'll never forget that sound.
I hope everyone is okay. Tara, Lois, Becky, if you can, drop me a line to let me know you're okay. If you need anything.
In other news, I'm still in revisions, still working on the Notes from Underground short story, and gearing up to query and NaNo in November.
But first and foremost, I wanted to tell you about the train sound. Don't take it lightly, don't blow it off (like I did). I've lived through hurricanes but you know when they're coming. I guess I lived through a tornado but was too stupid to realize it. DON'T BE ME. HEED THE TRAIN.
18 comments:
Monster Baby. LOL. People give me the evil eye when I call my Mol the devil dog. Oh well.
I'm glad yall are well after your visit!
--Mac (I'm waiting for more Genna)
Glad you're okay! I've never heard a tornado, but I've watched one plow across the countryside before.
I live in Tornado Country. I've seen plenty. Luckily, my house is pretty sturdy, but my tree in my front yard is not. Every storm, bits of my tree get hauled off to places unknown. Sometimes only as far as my roof or driveway.
My house got destroyed by a tornado with all of us inside when I was 7. We all remember different things, but the adults definitely heard the train sound--I didn't.
Glad you were okay. It was the most devastating thing that's ever happened to me, and I'm still scared of thunderstorms.
Phew! Scary stuff. Yes, I've heard that "train." Back in the late 60's, a tornado hit the house across the street from my parents. Having come from NY, I had no idea tornadoes hit in Ohio. I take them very seriously now.
Ooooh, that is scary! I lived in CT and we did have tornadoes every once in a while but it was rare. Glad everyone is okay!
I grew up in Alabama with the constant threat of tornados, but somehow I've never been in one. I'm really glad you and your family are okay.
p.s. (still waiting on the query front..:)
Oh Anne! I'm glad you are OK! I've never seen/heard a tornado and I don't particularly want to.
I came here hoping you'd written a post! A street in your town was hit bad by a tornado - lots of home damage! Bet it was close to you, and that's what scathed by your place. So scary. Sorry about all the mess :(
My poor kids spent the last 2 hours of school in the hall with their heads down because a funnel cloud developed really close. Dismissal was delayed an hour even.
I'm going to check Lois' blog next - she's been in the direct path for both days of this! Both times it went right around me pretty much. Very grateful.
I know what you mean about the train sound. When we were living in Alabama, there was a huge thunderstorm going over us, but I had the door open because it was hot (and the rain was blowing in the other direction). I faintly heard what sounded like a train, knowing there weren't any tracks near our house. I'm originally from California, but I had heard the stories. I shut the door and moved away, but that was about it.
Scared the crap out of me when I read the next day that a tornado touched down a few miles from our house. It must have been going overhead at the time. I will never ignore the sound again!
we had horrible winds (and snow) here as well. It blew down part of our fence.
I was always worried about the train sound, because we had a train tracks behind our house. So not only was i adjusted to the sound of the trains (and didn't even really hear them anymore) if i did hear the sound, i would have just thought it was a train.
I just need to get a weather radio.
What a crazy experience--so glad you're okay!
I think they can exist in the air and produce the sound. Hickory didn't get any tornado damage but areas all around us did. I think what I heard was one not touching the ground-they were watching several formed rotating funnel systems hundreds of feet from ground level.
I'm just glad it's over. We have some limbs in the back but that's it. We all seem to have been very fortunate. I feel for those that weren't. And yes, we need to heed the train! I stood there, phone in hand, telling myself that I wasn't hearing what I heard while my knees were going weak! Duh!
I am very glad that the tornado didn't hurt your home, you, or Monster Baby. I was on the interstate and saw a tornado snake down from the dark clouds. It was am unnerving and downright terrifying. But it snaked back up, and I took a quick left. You've had your trick. Now, it's only treats for Halloween!
I'm glad you're all ok! I live in California. We get the (very rare)tornado, but we mostly listen for is the sound of the semi driving through your house. Of course, by the time you hear that sound, it's too late. The earthquake is already here.
Pretty scary, Anne. So happy to hear that you're safe and sound. We've had tornado warnings before but never an actual tornado though I do remember being hustled down to the basement in the middle of the night once when I was in elementary school.
I didn't know tornadoes sounded like trains. How scary. I'm so glad you and your family are okay.
If you get a chance, I'm hosting a Halloween Haunting at my blog "Substitute Teacher's Saga" from 10/28-11/1 if you want to join in. There are prizes!
I'm just glad you & everyone in your household is OK -- & that you still have a house. I wasn't aware it sounded like a train.
On the bright side, you remained calm, so that's always a good thing.
Hope you get a lot of writing & revising done! :)
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