The Sun Will Come Out.....Tomorrow

As I sat working in my "home office" I noticed that it was getting darker and darker outside. I knew the weather forecasters were predicting inclement weather, but I hadn't turned the T.V. on to check. I figured if I was inside and I had secured my patio, I was good to go.
I lit a few candles because I always lose power during storms. Most of the time it's brief, but I love lit candles anyway and what better time to light them than during rolling thunder and lightning.
One of my coworkers, who knows me well, sent me an instant message through our chat option at work. "I know you don't have your T.V. on but I want you to turn it on right NOW" he said adamantly.

Uh-oh.

I've never really been afraid of storms, I'm kind of fascinated with weather actually. But I don't want anyone to get hurt or lose their homes, or much worse, their lives.

Needless to say, I left the T.V on so I could at least listen while I was working. Within twenty minutes I was in the center of my apartment in the bathroom that has no windows, with the door shut tight. The forecasters couldn't keep up with the reports coming in, and I now know that 13 tornados hit the Dallas area. Just as they were describing semi-trucks being lifted into the air and pummeling into buildings the electricity went out.
Fun times.

All in all I think the worst part of the storm that hit where I live lasted about 20 minutes. When the loudest sound I've ever heard began to subside, I slowly opened the door to peek out and see if the back door had flung open. It sounded like it had, which puzzled me because I thought I locked it. It wasn't open, the wind was just hitting it hard enough to jostle the wind chime that hangs on the inside door knob. I started looking around to see what window broke during the hail storm, I knew there had to be at least one, it sounded like knives hitting glass. I got lucky, there was only one, in the bedroom.

I stepped outside to survey that beautiful swimming pool that is just beyond my patio.

Well. I don't mind swimming in the lake, but this is crazy.

I wasn't worried about my car because I was parked undearneath the carport. Little did I know, I had pulled forward a little too far. But the damage to my car was minimal compared to the vehicles that were left out in the open. Every single car had damage, most had windows and windshields blown out. Glass was everywhere, especially underneath the apartment windows that blew out. Still, we didn't lose our homes the way some did in Lancaster, and Forney, TX.

The forecasters kept saying, "don't believe the lull, round two is coming, please stay in your safe zones until further notice". I didn't stay outside long. It was like Christmas only the air was much warmer. The crunching sound the hail made as people were timidly walking over it to see what it had caused was reverberating throughout the parking lot.

And that hail was no joke.


Right before I went back inside I came across these two, seemingly assessing the damage, quite audibly mind you.
   
                                                                     

So, with candles lit, but the electricity back on, I settled in to watch the reports to see if anything else was headed my way. The cell towers were up and down so I was receiving sporadic messages asking if I was okay, and letting me know that my local friends were all safe and sound.
The storms begin to move east, away from the metroplex so I relaxed a little, knowing that for this round anyway, we were probably in the clear.

And then, as a small reminder that the sun really does come out tomorrow, I awoke to the most gorgeous day ever. The sun was shining brightly, and the humidity was low enough that I could open the windows and let the breeze come in.
The clean up had begun, maintenance was all over the place assessing damage and repairing windows and screens, and some broken doors, removing glass from the parking areas, and knocking on doors to ask if there was anything urgent that anyone needed today.

I saw so many people coming together to help after the horrible storm that hit Joplin, MO last year, and again this year when Branson, MO was hit. People were driving to Alabama to help out last year, giving a helping hand to anyone that needed it.  Storms may wreak havoc, but we pull together after them.

And the sun does shine again.

See you soon,
Tiffany