Glass Trees: A Freight Train's Damage

Although I've lived in Kansas most of my life, I have never heard the foreboding freight train-like roar of an approaching tornado. Last week, however I was convinced that would change. A tornado that had started some 80 miles ago was approaching the town I live in. Despite being in the middle of Tornado Alley we seldom get hit. In fact I believe (if I remember what I heard correctly) that it has been 40-odd years since our town has seen a tornado. Since this tornado had already traveled 80 miles the chances that it would break up before it hit us were slim.

As we watched the storm coverage from the basement we started hearing reports of damage near our house--just blocks away. We moved to the hallway away from any windows and listened and waited. Nothing, except of course the pounding of rain and rumbles of thunder. But no freight train.

We all breathed a sigh of relief and ventured upstairs to see what there was to see. The damage reports were slow to start but soon became continuous. Flooding, limbs down, debris everywhere, entire homes destroyed, a car dealership badly hit, a hardware store leveled, and unconfirmed reports that it hit the college campus.

Since the reports were "unconfirmed" I didn't think much about showing up to work on campus the next day. After seeing a little of the damage I quickly decided that the reports were now confirmed and that the sheer power in a tornado is nothing to take lightly. I drove into my parking lot to find trees ripped up, light poles torn down, and a car overturned. As I explored the tornado's wake this surreal feeling came over me. How could something do so much damage so quickly?

I don't think I'll ever fully understand the wind's ability to bend and twist things. I found a tree and a light pole sitting by one another that were bent at the same angle. The window in my office was sucked out. (I know this because there were very few shards of glass in my office.) I realize that, being from Kansas, I should have a good idea of how this all works, but the power that is displayed in something like this is just amazing...breathtaking in its own way.

I use words like breathtaking and amazing because no one in my town was seriously injured in this storm. My home was not damaged. Its effect on me has been minimal. My tone would surely change if I had been more closely affected.