In the Path of the Storm

It was Wednesday, April 27, 2011.  I was watching over my five-year old granddaughter, Emma Grace, when the tornado warning anouncements began from the National Emergency Alert System on TV.  The warnings were coming at frequent intervals and Emma was frightened.  She began to cry, and while making a twirling motion with her hand she asked, "Mamaw, will it be one of those bad storms that goes round and round?"  Attempting reassurance I said, "It's probably only going to be some wind and rain."  My words didn't help to alleviate her fear because she continued to cry with an expression of panic on her face.

I noticed that the sky had grown very dark, and we could hear the reoccuring thunder and see almost constant massive lightening streaking accross the afternoon sky.  The trees in the neighborhood were swaying violently in the wind, and the rain began pouring down.  The weather forcast reported that there was an intense super cell of thunder storms with deadly tornadic potential sweeping accross the South, and Knoxville was in the path of the storms.  Emma's mother, who is a school teacher, called to say she would not pick her up at the usual time.  The school children were not being released from school and she was unable to leave until cleared to do so.  We have had tornado warning before, but these storms being depicted on the doppler radar and the serious tone of the forecaster's voice indicated a more ominous significance.  With Emma Grace close behind and my telling her not to be afraid because I wasn't afraid, I begin to carry some pillows and blankets into the wash room, which is the intermost room in my one story house.

Over the remainder of the afternoon and into the night, several tornados touched down in the Knoxville and surrounding areas.  Parts of the city had large and damaging hail, flooding, numerous downed trees and power lines, and property damage.  One hundred year-old trees came down, but all in all we were very fortunate.  When it was all over and the warnings ceased, it was determined that the storms caused the deadliest tornado outbreak in four decades.  Almost 300 people were killed accross six states, and the tornados left obliterated neighborhoods, even entire towns, along their path.  Alabama took the worst hit with most of the deaths and destruction.  The local newspaper published a photo of a personal check from Alabama, which had been found in a yard in the Knoxville area.  The storms had carried it over 200 miles.

Many people endured much and lost everything as a result of these storms.  Loved ones were lost and lives forever changed in the course of minutes.  As with many past disasters, mother nature in her fury has let us know just how unpredictable, volatile, and uncaring she can be; that we are essentially powerless to resist.  Once again, I am reminded of the need to put my trust in God, be mindful of my fellow man, and count the blessings that belong to each day.  During times such as this, it is unmistakeingly clear that whether trouble is caused by a disasterous event or some other unexpected  life trial, we may have hopes, dreams, plans, and aspirations, but one life storm can come and wash them all away.