Wildest tornado experience

[phideaux]

What's the wildest , most unusual , scariest thing you've seen during or as a result of a tornado?

My scariest experience was back in 1969. I was driving alone from TN to Chicago , before I57 was finished. Only small sections finished. I had to drive thru parts of Illinois on 2 lane hwys, I was in some bad weather , rain and windy , some hail , in the middle of nowhere.
It was getting harder to hold the car (1968 Superbee)on the hwy , dark skys , pouring rain , I slowed to a crawl .
All of a sudden I see this giant tree flying thru the air ,100ft in the air , from left to right 50-100 yards in don't of me.

Needless to say I stopped and set there for , I don't know how long , until the funnel cloud past by.
Then I found a restroom to change my underbritches.

I'll never forget that sight or experience.

Jim

 

[The Lazy L]

One of the few times we were eating supper in the living room while watching TV. Roof shingles were flying horizontally pass the Livingroom window. Dad yelled at us to head for the basement (the only time I heard my dad raise his voice). After the wind died down I was allowed to go outside to check on my dog. I normally had dog tied to his dog house but this time he was tied to the fence. Dog was OK, never did find the doghouse. Wind started up again and dad called me in. The only time dad allowed the dog in the house (basement). Dad's 100' x 40' shop had been lifted up and over our house and drop in the neighbor's field.

 

[Weedygarden]

I've only seen tornadoes from a distance, and experienced a couple while at work. One time, we went to the school basement, the only time most of us had been there. The other time, we were in the hallways of a very old school building with our heads down and arms over our heads. You do not have to see the tornado to be terrified.

Now a flood? I lived in Kansas City in 1977 when a flood happened. I was too close to that situation.

 

[LadyLocust]

Closest I've been to a tornado - Wizard of Oz on the TV in the living room.
Floods, earthquakes, and forest fires - plenty.

 

[kd4ulw]

This was the aftermath of the Henryville, Indiana EF-4 March 2, 2012. Drove through that area on my way to provide communication assistance via Ham Radio that night and took some pics leaving that next morning. Notice the buses were ripped off the frames.

l

 

[backlash]

We were in Columbus Mo at a restaurant and the tornado warning started going off. I asked the waitress what that was. She said a test was scheduled for 6, it was 5:30 she said they were early. Manager asked us to move away from the windows because they sometimes checked and would not like us close to the windows so we moved 5 feet to another table.
The manager came back a minute later and said OK there is a tornado 9 miles away and it's coming right at us. You can hide in the kitchen with us or leave. My Mom was almost to the door before he got finished. We drove away from the path fast. Got to the hotel and could hardly open the door to get in.
I called the front desk and asked if there a shelter and the girl said she was under her desk and we should get in the bathtub. It was a fiberglass tub and there were 5 of us. We went to the center hall and waited. It missed us by less than a mile.

 

[Supervisor42]

What's the wildest , most unusual , scariest thing you've seen during or as a result of a tornado?

My scariest experience was back in 1969. I was driving alone from TN to Chicago , before I57 was finished. Only small sections finished. I had to drive thru parts of Illinois on 2 lane hwys, I was in some bad weather , rain and windy , some hail , in the middle of nowhere.
It was getting harder to hold the car (1968 Superbee)on the hwy , dark skys , pouring rain , I slowed to a crawl .
All of a sudden I see this giant tree flying thru the air ,100ft in the air , from left to right 50-100 yards in don't of me.

Needless to say I stopped and set there for , I don't know how long , until the funnel cloud past by.
Then I found a restroom to change my underbritches.

I'll never forget that sight or experience.

Jim

For me, it was when I was young on the farm. I was up at the barn, feeding cows.
The wind started blowing way stronger than it ever had. I raced back to the house and jumped in the carry-all (what a Suburban was before they were called that) 100 yards away. I will never forget how much it was rocking back and forth, knowing how heavy it was (I had jacked it up before).
When it was over, I walked back to the 100' x 60' barn and saw 3/4 of it was nothing but debris spread across 200 yards of pasture. It took us 4 months to build a new barn.
Today, my brother shot good footage of the 'fat one' coming out of Demopolis, AL , 7 miles from the farm.
Don't worry, it won't be on the news, either.

 

[Neb]

You are forcing me to post my Red Cross Katrina aftermath photos again.

Good point. Why limit the discusion to tornadoes?

I have huricane stories but no tornado stories aside from an old joke about the the Baltimore Ravens that went...

In case of a tornado head to the staduim. There hasn't been a touchdown in years.

Ben

 

[havasu]

My ex wife bought a house in Texas, right in a tornado area. The builder moved the (tornado area) sign to the other side of the road to keep the sales prices high.

 

[Bacpacker]

Best I've got is a little under 1 mile near miss in 2011.

 

[SoJer]

Well.. I've really only got One, but.. It was one that we didn't even Realize was one, until it was all over.. (and it came So Close to it - literally - being "all over" for at least Some of us..

So, we're up in Ontario, Canada, at the perennial Family 'cottage', having a grand old time on the Lake (Stoco Lake, btw, for any ya'll familiar.. and we see, off in the distance, clear 'Thunderstorm-sign', and decide it's time to wrap things up in the water / get the kids inside (this was with 'extended Family', so.. BILs / SILs / FIL / 3 lil Nephews, and Our two Boys (Daughter wasn't in the mix, yet..) - 12 'souls' in all..

..So we moor the little fammy rowboat at the dock, get some of the kids 'floaties' etc up closer to the cabin.. And little by little, the once-distant "storm clouds" seem to all fuse into One big 'white wall of fog', just everywhere.. But the thunder continued to announce that, yah, we were gonna get a whippin pretty soon...

Still, we all figured it was gonna be little more than the typical 'rip snortin Thunderstorm' (which we all Loved, btw, especially all the Boys - weren't skeered one bit.. (well, at least till the less-than-a-mile thunderclaps hit, and of course they came running / shreiking like little girls, Lol...

..but this Front seemed.. different.. It was just like.. 'Solid White, everywhere' - almost like you'd see in a 'white squall' out at Sea - but we were on Land, and this 'originated' over Land, from the distance, and came towards and over the Lake, not the other way around.. So all the kids / Fam are in the cabin, boisterously snacking / changing / excitedly anticipating the Storms arrival.. but I was Outside 'standing guard', watching this monster front slowly advance - probably foolishly - behind a good, oh... 15-18" diameter Pine.. Huge Tree..

..and then the Wind starts picking up, as do the Lightning strikes.. And the wind picks up.. and up, and Rain starts coming down hard.. Suddenly, I see it - this like Solid white 'wall' of wind and debris and Downpour just Charging towards us / the Lake area, and within seconds it just Ka-Blam - Slams into the area and docks around us and tree I was behind, and it literally 'bent' the entire Tree - pushed into me a bit, and I was like.. 'Woah, uh... ' as I watched the 12' rowboat - which had just been being tossed back/forth like a cork in a dishwasher - gets lifted Up in the air, about 10' - and then is sent Flying - straight horizontal - far, far out of my view (we ended up finding it, smashed, about 1/4 mile up the Lake-shore, next day..)

..and within those few seconds, like 2-3 maybe, this Massively loud 'roaring' starts crescendoing - Over - the steady push of the Extreme-wind front, and just as I start to think 'Holy... there's More??!!' this 'second Blast-wave' of Wind just Slams into the Lake-front tree-lines, and I am watching 8-10-12" trees just Uprooting and/or flying - and the Tree that I am standing behind - Starts to yield to the wind-front and begins to Fall towards the cottage 'covered porch' - where everyone is standing, watching out the windows..

..So of course, I take off running up the side of the cottage, Screaming my brains out GET OFF THE PORCH!! GET OFF THE PORCH!!! NOW NOW NOW!!- and as I charge into the cabin, and rush thru the tiny kitchen / dining room - I watch as the tree - accompanied by what sounds like an Airplane hitting the ground - FFFFFFFFWWWWWWHUUUMPP!!! - finishes its fall Directly in front of the cottage deck - missing the railing by a mere 3 inches..

..Of course, everyone on the porch erupts in a 'HOLY SH....!!!' and screams, and scramble-grabs the Boys / pulls them back towards the dining room but.. Had that thing been just 3' or so further Into the cottage-space - I probably would have watched them All get totally creamed... It.. would've been a Mess..

So, this crazy Front passes, and slowly things calm down, and now it's dark.. No power, of course, but no matter - Coleman lanterns / gas-stove / candles, etc a-plenty - and of course, the spigots on the 'Wodka' / Gin / Tequila flew open-wide for the Adults to calm down, but.. Man - we were all Quite Spooked by that..

Next am, we all ventured out at first light - still 'foggy', damp, and eerily Dead-calm / silent - we were all Blown Away by what we saw.. Literally, a good 50% of these Massive Pines were either shredded, or simply blown over - with - no exaggeration - 20' 'root floors' sticking out of the ground - looked like Godzillas sandbox the weekend he tried Meth for the first time - and Trees completely Thru other cabins' roofs / walls.. Good-size sail / fishing boats, up on land, smashed - Someone's ancient blue Ford pickup tossed upside down into a neighbors yard from god-knows-where it came, etc, etc..

..And, we Would have concluded "massive Microburst / Downburst", but.. When we ventured up the shore to try and find our boat - We saw the 'telltale fingerprint' in the Cattail fields.. Had to be at Least 300' of flattened, unmistakably-circular 'swirlies' - like those 'crop circle' photos online - And there were 3 of them, over a pretty big, yet relatively close-together area, and a whole lotta Mess, between, so... To us, that signaled where a funnel had 'kissed', at the very least...

Later on in the day, when we ventured out into the nearest town (Tweed..) yep - they confirmed it - Twister had touched down near / over the Lake, then went on to wreak havoc on a couple smaller towns East of us, but.. Likely, it wasn't much more than an F2 (?? - never did hear the "official" conclusion on it, but..) Dang - that was Plenty Enough for us.. Tornadoes? Yah, No Thanks. I'll surf the occasional Quakes and dodge the Fires, thanks..

Ya'll stay safe this Season..

jd

 

[Morgan101]

Just a few years ago, and I have mentioned it before. One passed a couple hundred yards from our house. No warning whatsoever. One of the neighbors recorded it with his phone. We were lucky. It came over a hill, and went right down a street. Wreaked havoc in the park close to us then jumped the river and really did a number on the town adjacent to us.

 

[zoomzoom]

When I was a kid, we would do what we called "iceberging". In the spring, on Lake Erie, the ice would break into icebergs. We would grab a large stick off the beach and jump onto an appropriate sized iceberg (normally about 10' square). You then use the stick to push off the sand bottom and move yourself around.

There were 2 of us doing this one day. The other kid got cold so he went back to shore. I kept paddling out and about, getting pretty far away from shore.

I then see the other kid trying to wave me down and signaling to come in. I was having fun so pretty much disregarded his signals. He kept waving then pointed behind me. I turned to see a water spout (a tornado on water) very close and heading straight for me. I tried to push myself to shore but it was gaining on me very quickly. When it got within 100', I knew it was going to hit me. I jumped in the freezing water, swam under my iceberg and stayed there for as long as I could hold my breath. When I resurfaced, it evaporated and was thankfully gone. Then I had to make a 300 yard swim in my winter clothes (which weighed a ton) back to shore. Made it but was pretty damn cold.

 

[phideaux]

When I was a kid , I spent weeks with my favorite Aunt and Uncle.
They lived out in country in TN , nearest neighbor was miles away.
They lived in a shack , tin roof, holes in walls, holes in floor, no plumbing , only lighting was kerosene lamps in living room , heated and cooked with wood.
The shack had old brown brick looking asphalt siding over boards. Just thin water proof siding.

It faced east, toward the gravel road and was on a hill.

Had a huge Pecan tree on SE corner of house , about 15 feet from house, it was at least 3 ft dia 100ft tall, which was my favorite play spot.

One day when I was with them , it got black and windy , so we went to storm bunker, dug out of hillside, about 100ft from house.

When it ended , we came out.

The pecan tree was laying in the garden about 50 ft from house on south side.
Small piece of asphalt siding was missing , house wasn't touched.

Never forgot that.

Jim

 

[Lucky2beAlive]

Well.. I've really only got One, but.. It was one that we didn't even Realize was one, until it was all over.. (and it came So Close to it - literally - being "all over" for at least Some of us..

So, we're up in Ontario, Canada, at the perennial Family 'cottage', having a grand old time on the Lake (Stoco Lake, btw, for any ya'll familiar.. and we see, off in the distance, clear 'Thunderstorm-sign', and decide it's time to wrap things up in the water / get the kids inside (this was with 'extended Family', so.. BILs / SILs / FIL / 3 lil Nephews, and Our two Boys (Daughter wasn't in the mix, yet..) - 12 'souls' in all..

..So we moor the little fammy rowboat at the dock, get some of the kids 'floaties' etc up closer to the cabin.. And little by little, the once-distant "storm clouds" seem to all fuse into One big 'white wall of fog', just everywhere.. But the thunder continued to announce that, yah, we were gonna get a whippin pretty soon...

Still, we all figured it was gonna be little more than the typical 'rip snortin Thunderstorm' (which we all Loved, btw, especially all the Boys - weren't skeered one bit.. (well, at least till the less-than-a-mile thunderclaps hit, and of course they came running / shreiking like little girls, Lol...

..but this Front seemed.. different.. It was just like.. 'Solid White, everywhere' - almost like you'd see in a 'white squall' out at Sea - but we were on Land, and this 'originated' over Land, from the distance, and came towards and over the Lake, not the other way around.. So all the kids / Fam are in the cabin, boisterously snacking / changing / excitedly anticipating the Storms arrival.. but I was Outside 'standing guard', watching this monster front slowly advance - probably foolishly - behind a good, oh... 15-18" diameter Pine.. Huge Tree..

..and then the Wind starts picking up, as do the Lightning strikes.. And the wind picks up.. and up, and Rain starts coming down hard.. Suddenly, I see it - this like Solid white 'wall' of wind and debris and Downpour just Charging towards us / the Lake area, and within seconds it just Ka-Blam - Slams into the area and docks around us and tree I was behind, and it literally 'bent' the entire Tree - pushed into me a bit, and I was like.. 'Woah, uh... ' as I watched the 12' rowboat - which had just been being tossed back/forth like a cork in a dishwasher - gets lifted Up in the air, about 10' - and then is sent Flying - straight horizontal - far, far out of my view (we ended up finding it, smashed, about 1/4 mile up the Lake-shore, next day..)

..and within those few seconds, like 2-3 maybe, this Massively loud 'roaring' starts crescendoing - Over - the steady push of the Extreme-wind front, and just as I start to think 'Holy... there's More??!!' this 'second Blast-wave' of Wind just Slams into the Lake-front tree-lines, and I am watching 8-10-12" trees just Uprooting and/or flying - and the Tree that I am standing behind - Starts to yield to the wind-front and begins to Fall towards the cottage 'covered porch' - where everyone is standing, watching out the windows..

..So of course, I take off running up the side of the cottage, Screaming my brains out GET OFF THE PORCH!! GET OFF THE PORCH!!! NOW NOW NOW!!- and as I charge into the cabin, and rush thru the tiny kitchen / dining room - I watch as the tree - accompanied by what sounds like an Airplane hitting the ground - FFFFFFFFWWWWWWHUUUMPP!!! - finishes its fall Directly in front of the cottage deck - missing the railing by a mere 3 inches..

..Of course, everyone on the porch erupts in a 'HOLY SH....!!!' and screams, and scramble-grabs the Boys / pulls them back towards the dining room but.. Had that thing been just 3' or so further Into the cottage-space - I probably would have watched them All get totally creamed... It.. would've been a Mess..

So, this crazy Front passes, and slowly things calm down, and now it's dark.. No power, of course, but no matter - Coleman lanterns / gas-stove / candles, etc a-plenty - and of course, the spigots on the 'Wodka' / Gin / Tequila flew open-wide for the Adults to calm down, but.. Man - we were all Quite Spooked by that..

Next am, we all ventured out at first light - still 'foggy', damp, and eerily Dead-calm / silent - we were all Blown Away by what we saw.. Literally, a good 50% of these Massive Pines were either shredded, or simply blown over - with - no exaggeration - 20' 'root floors' sticking out of the ground - looked like Godzillas sandbox the weekend he tried Meth for the first time - and Trees completely Thru other cabins' roofs / walls.. Good-size sail / fishing boats, up on land, smashed - Someone's ancient blue Ford pickup tossed upside down into a neighbors yard from god-knows-where it came, etc, etc..

..And, we Would have concluded "massive Microburst / Downburst", but.. When we ventured up the shore to try and find our boat - We saw the 'telltale fingerprint' in the Cattail fields.. Had to be at Least 300' of flattened, unmistakably-circular 'swirlies' - like those 'crop circle' photos online - And there were 3 of them, over a pretty big, yet relatively close-together area, and a whole lotta Mess, between, so... To us, that signaled where a funnel had 'kissed', at the very least...

Later on in the day, when we ventured out into the nearest town (Tweed..) yep - they confirmed it - Twister had touched down near / over the Lake, then went on to wreak havoc on a couple smaller towns East of us, but.. Likely, it wasn't much more than an F2 (?? - never did hear the "official" conclusion on it, but..) Dang - that was Plenty Enough for us.. Tornadoes? Yah, No Thanks. I'll surf the occasional Quakes and dodge the Fires, thanks..

Ya'll stay safe this Season..

jd

Great True Story!
Thanks for sharing.

 

[Terri9630]

In the 3rd grade most of our classes were in a portable building because the school had been hit by a tornado the year before. We were suddenly sent home one day and told to run straight home, now! Well being kids we took our time and goofed off at the playground. When I got home the tornado had already passed. Half of our roof was gone and there was a dead cow in our backyard tree. Glad I wasn't there, yea for not listening to my teacher!!! My mother on the other hand was a basket case....