I WAS going to the Arkansas Derby....

[WinterTriangle]

but our town got hit by an F3 tornado last night.

I'm a little outside of town and safe and sound, but I'm sort of "drained" after a day of frantically trying to account for friends and loved ones. I guess I'm sharing this out of sheer nervous energy.:blush:

It is difficult to wrap your mind around this kind of devastation. I mean, this is stuff you see on the news, it's not supposed to happen where YOU are. http://stellarparthenon.org/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif No matter how many pictures you will look at it just isn't the same thing as seeing it in person, the places you know, the neighborhoods you know.....some of them levelled.

Even strong buildings like the Masonic Lodge, where people go FOr shelter, collapsed. Apparently 2 tornadoes the one that went thru town was F3 and reported winds were 130-150 mph. Many homes there is just one wall standing, or a big hole in the house that looks like somebody drove a truck thru. http://stellarparthenon.org/phpBB2/images/smiles/icon_eek.gif

Metal came off buildings and wrapped around trees, in strips, as if they were pieces of rubber bands.

We are under curfew and have national guard in the streets, etc.

One of my friends ran from her house (in direct path) to a safe municipal building for cover with her daughter. She had less than 4 minutes to get there. They arrived, and were in the stairwell, and part of the roof came off and she said they were being "sucked" up the stairwell just like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz.

I am grateful to be safe and sound, and that my loved ones are safe and sound, and that this happened at night so that all the people who would have been at work in some of these buildings were not in them. Major workplaces have been damaged to the point where people will not be able to go back to work in the plants.

Here's photos taken by friends, as well as aerials, etc. the power of nature is astounding. Mena is forever changed.
I'm not going to put the IMG tags on the photos, as some people will not want to see them. If you wish you can just paste in browser and pull them up.

Personal photos taken:

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q319/scottolts/dam3.jpg (http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q319/scottolts/dam3.jpg)

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q319/scottolts/dam1.jpg (http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q319/scottolts/dam1.jpg)

House moved 3 feet off its foundation…now, a total loss:

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q319/scottolts/damage.jpg (http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q319/scottolts/damage.jpg)

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss16/darksoul247/tornado%20damamge/th_100_1354.jpg (http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss16/darksoul247/tornado%20damamge/th_100_1354.jpg)

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss16/darksoul247/tornado%20damamge/th_100_1349.jpg (http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss16/darksoul247/tornado%20damamge/th_100_1349.jpg)

http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss16/darksoul247/tornado%20damamge/th_100_1367.jpg (http://s557.photobucket.com/albums/ss16/darksoul247/tornado%20damamge/th_100_1367.jpg)

Slideshow here:
http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//090410/480/e441a53ba6904a5496093931ed92ebc4/#photoViewer=/090410/480/14a57c2bde8f4fba9d57e52957e4a380 (http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//090410/480/e441a53ba6904a5496093931ed92ebc4/#photoViewer=/090410/480/14a57c2bde8f4fba9d57e52957e4a380)


Aerial videos:
http://www.kfsm.com/news/kfsm-news-top-mena-aerials,0,1356881.story (http://www.kfsm.com/news/kfsm-news-top-mena-aerials,0,1356881.story)

(http://www.kfsm.com/news/kfsm-news-top-mena-aerials,0,1356881.story)

[NJ Stinks]

Heartbreaking, WinterTriangle.

I'm glad to hear those close to you are safe.

[rrbauer]

You can't believe the destruction from a twister unless you've been around one and seen it first hand. Glad you're OK, WT.

[joanied]

WT...ohmyGod... we saw this on the news...had no idea that it's where you live.
First, I am so glad you and yours are OK, at least in body and that your home is OK...emotionally, I cannot even imagine what it's like to go through a tornado and the aftermath. Unbelievable.

Just try and hang in there...my thoughts and prayers are with you, your family and friends, and all those that lost their homes and posessions.
I have a cousin in Brooklyn that is a Preist...I will email him and he'll say a Mass for everyone that was effected by the tornado...

Take care, WT... I know, that won't be easy.

[boomman]

Winter: Let me also echo joanied that our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Having grown up in "tornado alley" in Kansas, I am well aware of the destruction they cause, and just happy that you and your family are safe. I read that 3 people died in the tornado and my condolences go out to their families......

Boomer

[cj]

I've seen what tornadoes can do, very sorry to hear it. I was amazed at what wildfires can do having never seen that until Thursday night here in Oklahoma. I can't even imagine what it is like to be evacuated knowing your house is probably going to be gone when you get back.

[Steve 'StatMan']

Oh my Winter, glad you're all right but so sad for your friends and community members. That damage is amazingly awful. That tree - good lord! "Oh Tie some long strip metal round the Old Oak Tree...." Good to stay home instead, need to take care of yourself, and friends, family, and neighbors first - there will be other days for horseracing - ok, even if OP's season is finishing up.

[PaceAdvantage]

Incredible, the destructive force of nature. It's really quite humbling when you think about it...

WinterTriangle, I think we all here thank God above that you and your loved ones made it out of that OK!

[OTM Al]

They are terrifying things. Used to live in Indiana, so we got our share of them there. The scariest thing about them is how unpredictable they can be. I had a friend who had his house lifted up and dropped back on the foundation and neither of the houses on either side were touched. And that was a minor one relatively. One thing I absolutely haven't missed since moving to NYC

[WinterTriangle]

That tree - good lord! "Oh Tie some long strip metal round the Old Oak Tree...."

Statman, wanna see something amazing? STuff is unrecognizable now. Here's a "before" photo of the pretty neighborhood and that exact same house and tree, taken by someone a year ago who lives in the neighborhood, and then's here the "after" shot on Friday:

http://s685.photobucket.com/albums/vv211/kramer479/treebefore.jpg

http://s685.photobucket.com/albums/vv211/kramer479/dam3.jpg

[Steve 'StatMan']

Oh dear. That's heartbreaking. Tree, house, all around. Such a tragic reversal.

[Steve 'StatMan']

Oh man. In the 'before' picture you can see lots of other trees and some houses on the left in a very nice, green scene. After the tornado and the devastaion, all that is have been knocked away, and now there is little blocking the view of the big hills in the background.

[Shelby]

I was heartbroken to hear about all of this :( We used to store our lumber at a place called Mid South Reload in Mena. You all are in my prayers.

[WinterTriangle]

Just an update, what a difference a week makes. Lots of help coming in from the outside, the cleanup is a daunting task and will go on for a long time, just getting the trees cut and out.

The views have changed, one can say being able to see the mountains now may be pleasant, gotta make lemonade from lemons sometimes.

Lots of homeless staying in shelters, and big Red Cross trucks and church trucks etc. with showers in 'em. I never saw this. Meals on Wheels and Red Cross and church orgs feeding people off concession stands etc.

You see stuff you never even thought about!!!!! National Guard still has some places blocked off...the neighborhoods that don't exist anymore.

The insurance companies have mobile vans with satellites attached, set up in Walmart, schools, parking lots, so people can file claims.

when you see the destruction, you scratch your head that 500+ people are not dead.....but turns out about 400+ went to tornado shelter (our courthouse basement) when the sirens went off. THIS IS WHY they are alive. Because, there are neighborhoods that are gone.....and I do mean gone. Nothing standing. :eek:

So, our community practices by having tornado sirens go off daily, for years now, at 12 noon. So, people are used to hearing it, and "know" when it goes off and it's NOT noon, that means RUN to a shelter.

It would not have mattered what you were living in. Huge stone, brick and those types of places are gone just as much as the little stick houses built with 2x4s.

A good education in tornadoes, that's for sure. Very random. You'll see an entire neighborhood gone, but across the street, a few houses standing. Or you'll see an entire neighborhood gone, with *one* house untouched. Very bizzare.

Really America is an amazing place. The help that has poured in is unbelievable. Thank you everyone!

[toussaud]

you live in arknasas? I live in little rock and I am lucky enough to say I have never been in a real bad tornado. I've had some sweep past and knock a few trees down but nothing that bad.