An Eventful Sunday Afternoon

Yesterday as the kids and I pulled into our driveway, the very dark black storm clouds released its deluge of rain. And while we were piling out of the car in the garage the tornado siren went off. I rushed the kids into the house and down into the basement. In a mode of panic I ran back upstairs to close the windows in the kitchen and dining room. While attempting to perform that feat, the screens blew off the crank out windows and onto the floor. The ceiling light in the kitchen was swaying in the wind and leaves, sticks and all kinds of guck was blowing into the house. After seeing the kids pool go sailing through the air along with some other toys and the screens I realized being upstairs wasn't the best idea I've ever had. I ran downstairs to be with the kids. The lights were working so I tried the t.v. to see what was going on. There was a tornado spotted about two miles away at the time but I believe it made it's way over our house while I was upstairs like a goon. We lost two trees and have fascia and soffit damage along the back of the house. Several windows and screens are mangled so that they no longer work. Our neighborhood lost many, many beautiful trees, large and small. The neighborhood looks so different already. It's sad. One neighbor lost five trees just in his yard and one unfortunately landed on his home. We are all safe and very fortunate because I believe the tornado didn't touch down here. It seems it just passed over just above the ground in some manner or something. We have a pocket of damage like three blocks north of us, three blocks east and one block south that received damage. Very strange. No other damage after that small area. Anyway, another community only 9 miles away didn't fair so well. 50 homes were flattened and about 250-300 homes damaged in Hugo, Minnesota. Photos from the area are very shocking. If you wish to view photos from Hugo there is a Photo Gallery on startribune.com and fox9news.com.
The photos at the beginning of this page are from my neighborhood in Coon Rapids.