Midwest USA Hit By Devastating Tornadoes & Storms

Just in the last half hour, the winds have picked up, wind gusts predicted up to 75 mph, expected to last most of night.

Just feeling a bit edgey right now, the tree outside my window here is swaying quite a bit.

I have seen so many videos of the massive destruction of entire towns south of here, in Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Henryville, Kentucky.

Talked to my brother in Kentucky this afternoon when i saw his area was right in the middle of the tornado warning area. He said they were watching 4 rotating cells overhead, but so far, none had touched down. He has some fancy electronic gadget that he can hold in his hand and get the weather maps all over the world.

Now my neighbor just called from across the road, she wanted to make sure I had a place to get to if it got too noisy outside. Already decided, Bridget and I will go get in the shower, with our pillows and a blanket. Her pillow is much smaller than mine

Nah, it's windy, but according to the Meteorologist from Toledo, the blocked tornado area will not come up this far North. The pressure over Lake Erie will hold it back.

But, tell you what...My hands, wrists and fingers are really complaining, as are my ankles and feet. Will double up the Hydrcodone tonight!

Sure hope this mess covering 2/3 s of the US does not make it across the Atlantic. Wow, it sure is roaring out there. Don't worry, this is Northern Ohio, we are only getting the high winds. I just can't comprehend all those thousands of families who have lost everything tonight, spending the night in High School gynasiums and the like.

Sleep well, my friends, till the morning light. L.xx

[sylvi]

I read about that in the paper just didn't think it was that close to you. Hope you get some rest and are not disturbed too much. I know my joints ache when there is a change in the weather.

Love sylvia.xx

[Hidden in reply to sylvi]

My joints hurt as the weather changes too, Sylvi. I believe it is the change in pressure that does it. And very low pressure is dreadful as my fingers swell up! Weird.

[helixhelix]

Must be the middle of the night with you now, but hope all's well and you didn't even have to spend the night in the shower. Stay safe. Pollyx

[Hidden]

Loret I do hope it's not done any damage to you or your loved ones.

If it's any consolation 75mph is just a strong breeze where I live with wind gusts of up to 140mph this winter here - you may recall me sounding anxious at various points? But I suppose everything is geared towards it although this winter has been the worst anyone can remember even here with various roofs blown off old buildings etc. Always amazes me that things aren't more geared towards tornadoes in the States - houses with thicker walls and tethered deeper and such-like when you have these storms relatively often? But I guess it's all about money and the States is such a vast mass of countries it's just hard for me to get my head around. Anyway thinking of you and the tree. Good luck TTx

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Saw a report on all these tornadoes tonight, so far this year, there have been 175 tornadoes reported here. That is way above the usual average. The peak tornado weather is usually early April to end of June. So we aren't even there yet.

Speculation abounds is that it is due to Global Warming, as the glaciers melt, and add to the volume of the oceans, the sun draws up more and more moisture into the upper atmosphere, then along comes a cold front, hits that mass of moisture -laden clouds and they dump their load, often in a spinning, twirling manner! So they say!! Makes sense I suppose. And, nothing we can do about it! Except stop smoking and quit using hair spray!! :)) tata for now, L.xxxx

[sylvi in reply to Hidden]

Can you ship some of that water to the uk,we seem to be having a water shortage!! xx

[Hidden in reply to sylvi]

OMG, I didn't realize that! For awhile back, seemed like we had pretty much the same weather, just a few days apart. Will see what I can do. Would you like it as snow, or straight? :)) L.xxx

[sylvi in reply to Hidden]

Our rivers and lakes are less than half full,depending where you live. They are talking of hose pipe bans.

Reminds me fo the driught of 1976, a little old lady had a patch of grass outside her flat and where everyone elses patch lok brownhers was as green as can be,asked how does she manage it. She said she was using her bath water. Just as well she had a ground floor flat.xxx

[Hidden in reply to sylvi]

lol, that's cute. But why not, though I can't imagine carrying a tub of bathwater, one little can at a time

[Beth58]

Just been watching this on the UK news, terrible pictures of the destruction. My heart goes out to the families affected by this.

Be safe.

Beth xx

[allanah]

oh no, thats awful and i think it would be my worst nightmare! I hope you are ok and cant imagine sleeping in a bath or shower with joint pain or having to leave somewhere quickly.

Dreadful price to pay for otherwise lovely weather you have, its just grey again here today

Axx

[Hidden]

Made it through the night! Heard the wind a few times, but not any worse than it was at midnight. Bridget was getting antsy. She was out in the dining room making moaning sounds , but when I call ed her she came into the bedroom, I coaxed her up on the bed and hugged her told her to stay right here, we're fine. She saw me shut my eyes ( a signal to her to settle) and she circled around and layed down with her back right up against me.

Some branches and twigs off the trees, that is about all here, but in Toledo, they had some roof damages.

Tilda, Most homes here are built from the ground up, with wood framed structures, many older ones have basements, but it looks like there is no material strong enough to withstand these tornadoes. Bricks and stone are just as damaged as wooden ones. Many communities were founded on rock, so basements were dug where they could, but many are built on concrete slabs, no basement. Several High schools and hospitals were damaged yesterday, in Indiana and Kentucky.

So many mountains and huge hills, looks like wherever the pioneers thought would be a great view, they built a town.

I often theorize, the pioneers were traveling from the East coast to the West, in Spring and Summer, and decided where to stay, usually along the Great Lakes, having no idea how bad and nasty the Winters were going to be. Once they were settled, they chose to stay, and here we are

My laundry machines are buzzing, so must go refeed them!

Have a good weekend, y'aal!! Loret xxx

[Tinwoman2]

Glad you and Bridget & the tree are all good, Loret.

I do not have a basement either, and I have no room to go to in bad weather without windows. I've always thought that I would squeeze between my computer desk & an inside wall. Or, the neighbors have said that I could come over-they both have basements.

Hope you are feeling better now.

Christine

[Hidden]

Thanks Christine, Glad we all made it through. The worst of thoughts is, this is very early for tornado weather, so we have to realize there may be more between now and July!

I still am thinking of all those thousands of people who do not have a home today, or for a long time to come. The little one who don't understand what just happened to their security, and the elderly, those poor souls who lost a lifetime of a homestead built by ancestors, now gone. I feel so helpless!

Take care, hope your bones are settling and behaving this weekend. L.xxx

[sciqueen]

Hi Loret

Glad you are all ok. It's been on the news here, but never made the connection that it may affect ourt american friends as not being familar with the geography.

Has the danger passed for you now?

Take care Sci x

[Hidden]

Thanks, Sci,, Yes, it is passed, but we are still having high winds today. It got alot colder, which is what i suppose was causing the whole mess. My friend and I were going out to run couple errands this afternoon, decided it was too cold and blustery to bother! So, I'm finishing laundry and about to mop the kitchen floor and maybe, just maybe get back to a Stephen King book I started a week ago!

Tinwoman (Christine) lives further out , in Nebraska, where the storms originated earlier this week, but she said they escaped from her area also. I have been trying to Google a map of Europe, but what I get, the print is so small I can't read the names of the countries very well. Wish I had a globe, have always wanted one. You could probably Google a map of the US, it is fascinating to place the people from here onto where they really are.

That's just like doing homework! Have a nice weekend! Heck, it's already half shot! L>Lxx

[Hidden]

I have been following this dreadful weather on our news, and having read your blog started to search for just where you are. This is a really good clear map of the US states. I didn't realise how little I know about the 50 states. I will see if I can find you a decent map of Europe next. Stay safe!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:...

[Hidden]

This isn't too bad. Some of the countries have different versions of their names, but it is quite a clear map.

nationsonline.org/oneworld/...

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Phoebe, this is marvelous!! Oceans of thanks for that! I just got a new color cartridge for my printer yesterday, so will install it and print this out. How neat it would be, I could stick pins with everybodys name on them, where they belong! Maybe numbers would work better, then I could keep a file to refer to with the opposing names.

Lol ,this is way more fascinating than running the monster vacci !!! Thanks again. L. xxx

[thinkpositive]

Loret hello,

So glad you and your loved ones are ok. BBC News was very informative,deverstating for the poor people who are badly affected i hope they get the help they need. Pictures unbelieveable,school bus embedded in the front of a building what a force of nature! you get back to your Stephen King book i hope you enjoy it .Take care loret my thoughts are with you.

Pat

[Hidden in reply to thinkpositive]

Thanks, Pat, appreciate that. You know what I have been doing all afternoon and evening...I have the book open on the coffee table, have been doing laundry and cleaning, like shampooing the carpet where it shows a traffic pattern and mopped the hardwood floor in the kitchen, but in between, when I needed to sit a spell, I went to the coffee table and read some more! Now that is classic pacing!!

It is now 9pm, and I am done, except I want to replace the color cartridge in the printer so I can print out a couple maps from a site Phoebe sent me. I so love you folks, everyone is so thoughtful and caring!

You are likely already bedded down, and sleeping snuggley, so I wish you well in the morning Loret