Tornado Update

This is from the Charlotte Observer:

Posted: Friday, Oct. 29, 2010

TERRELL The National Weather Service has confirmed that a third tornado struck the region

northwest of Charlotte this week, at Lake Norman in extreme eastern Catawba County and

southwestern Iredell County.

National Weather Service officials in Greenville-Spartanburg confirmed late Thursday that a

tornado path began at Kiser Island Road and Lee Point at Lake Norman in southeastern

Catawba County.

The tornado then moved northeast across the main channel of the lake and lifted just east of

Bayberry Creek Court and Kemp Road in south Iredell, officials said.

(This takes the path directly over our house on Bayberry Creek!)

In one concentrated area of Catawba County, the tornado uprooted trees and snapped others,

caused minor roof damage and destroyed docks along the eastern half of Harbor Circle.

Downed trees damaged the roofs of several homes, and a boat docked off Harbor Circle was

blown on shore near the Hager Creek Access Area on the Iredell County side of the lake.

Weather officials said the most damaged area in Iredell County was along the waterfront on

Kemp Road, which is off McKendree Road and Brawley School Road. Numerous lots had

major tree damage, and trees damaged several homes, officials said.

Last Night's Tornado

We woke up last night at 12:15 with lightning and thunder crashing. Scott mumbled something about the wind picking up. And then we heard the roar. We jumped out of bed, and I ran upstairs to get the kids. Scott opened the front door to look out, and you could see the debris flying by. And then...it was over. That fast. Before I could even wake the kids. Scary.

This is the lake house behind us. It was completely destroyed. *

This is another lot behind us.

Same lot.

Looking up our street.

Neighbors 3 doors down.

Same house.

House across from previous home had the garage doors blown off and wooden play set destroyed.

4 doors down.

Looking toward our house (last driveway in the distance).

I'm thankful that none of our neighbors were hurt. And, compared to their damage, ours seems minimal. But..my beloved plant stand was twisted and bent. This is the same one Scott's dad made for us years ago when we got our first home. That thing has followed us everywhere. During our last move, I was so excited when the moving truck arrived in North Carolina from New Jersey with that thing strapped onto the back looking like some sort of strange satellite system!

Hopefully the stand can be repaired. My ferns and flowers...not so much. But they can be replaced.

So...I promise to post some more happier moments from the last few weeks within the next few days.

*And I apologize for the fuzzy pictures. Someone with sticky fingers borrowed my camera without asking. He was very proud of the 52 pictures he took of Gracie.

Happy Fall!

Fall has arrived! It's fun to be back in the south where folks actually get excited about that first cool day. In New Jersey, dropping temperatures just gave me the heebie jeebies.

We headed out yesterday to load up on some fall stuff - pumpkins, mums, scarecrows, hay, cornstalks, etc. And, because patience isn't a word or act that exists in Scott, we had to get it all at once. No, we don't have a pickup truck. Nor do we have a trailer to pull behind us. Just your regular ole SUV. We also had Isaac's carseat - with Isaac in it - along with a huge box containing the pressure washer that Scott stopped on the way to buy at Lowes. You know, cause we're already out.

At the farm, we got it all. And we managed to get it all to fit in the car. BEFORE the cornstalks. The three big bundles of cornstalks we picked didn't seem that big when they were tied to the side of a barn. But when we got to the car with them, they were ginormous. Scott managed, somehow, to slide them in on top of everything else, including Isaac and me. The entire car was filled with corn. Seriously, after being completely buried with these massive stalks, we (Isaac and I) had to hold our hands in front of our mouths just to have a small pocket of air in order to breathe!

On the way home, Scott developed a craving for fried chicken, of all things. So, cause we're already out, he actually pulled into a drive thru. I'm not kidding. And, while my lungs were threatening to collapse, he not only ordered chicken, but proceeded to have a lengthy conversation with the drive thru guy. My savior finally came in the form of a small, distant voice in the back. "Hey! There's a kid under all this corn!"

Finally, we're all set for fall. At least until next weekend when we have to add the Halloweeny stuff.