May 15, 1998 was a very warm and muggy day. The forecast called for potential severe weather. I made some preparations for this potential: washing dishes, doing a load of laundry, filling buckets of water for toilets, made bottles for the baby, made room for my car in the garage. I wanted to put my car in the shed as the garage floor was littered with toddler toys, but the tractor was in the way. So I quickly cleared out the garage floor. I figured this was the type of storm that we could lose power for a few hours, maybe a bit of hail. Little did I know...
I spent the morning caring for my babies, preparing for 'potential' weather, and enjoying the beauty of the current weather. I sat on the screen porch we then had journaling and praying. I remember being thankful for our home, the beauty of our surroundings, and the wonderful life I was leading. I also prayed for our protection, specifically protection of our home and lives should storms develop.
The weather was ripe for storms, very warm, high 90s (F) temperatures, muggy. One could feel the conditions were ripe for big thunderstorms and maybe tornadoes. As a child, I was overly afraid of storms, even an innocent dark cloud would send me under the covers. I decided this particular day, that I would not pass this irrational fear to my children.
I laid my children down for their afternoon nap. Fans running to try to stay cool in our unairconditioned home. I kept an eye on the weather by watching the local news stations and radar. Sure enough, a large storm was making a bee line for our neighborhood. I stayed calm and remained alert.
The baby awoke first, wearing only a diaper, I placed her in her highchair to feed her. I noticed the water coming in the back storm door. I checked to make sure I had closed the window, which I had, and closed the heavier interior door. My phone rang, it was my mom, wondering if I was doing okay, knowing my fear of storms. I assured her all was well - remember I was not going to pass on my fear. Then I glanced out the window, something was amiss, the shed didn't look right. I called my mom asking her to come over after the storm, I thought we would likely need her as I thought something was 'wrong' with the shed. The sirens started wailing near her home, she shrieked we all needed to head for cover... she lives a short three miles away. Our community does not have the sirens, but Mom's does have these warning devices. Definitely not the day to 'stay calm', I should have been in the basement. I later learned all the neighbors had taken shelter in their basements.
( Before )
I grabbed the baby and headed to my toddler's room to awaken her from her nap. It was then that I saw the tree down. Oh! That was the "booming" sound I heard. Upon opening the door to my daughter's room, she said, "Mommy, it's storming." I affirmed her in her astuteness and hustled her to the basement, grabbing the diaper bag, which always had a few snacks in it, on my way down the stairs. We remained in our old, musty, non-liveable basement for a bit. I was thankful for that diaper bag with the snacks and a blanket to wrap my nearly naked baby in to ward off the basement chill. I remember singing "This Little Light of Mine" with my babies.
The phone rang again... my mom wondering how we were and shooing me back to the basement as another wave of storms was to be passing through shortly. I looked at the shed... definitely it was tilted. I returned to the basement awaiting the all clear. The all clear came from my mother bursting through the back door and my husband's arrival home from work.
Remember my prayer of protection? My husband was driving home during this weather, his timing was such that he missed the hail that caused considerable damage to other motorists, he missed the horrible winds, drove in mostly rain. God protected him on his commute.
Recall my desire to put the car in the shed? The garage was untouched. But the shed was pushed 10 feet off it's foundation. It definitely did not look 'right'. The only reason it was standing was the roof was resting and being upheld by the smoke stack on the tractor. The building was a total loss. A sad event as it was a historical building, at one time having been a one room school house, moved and converted to a shed. As we tore down the building, we saved the square nails that it had been used for its construction. The shed is on the NW corner of our property. God protected our car and our hobby farm equipment and tools.
We also lost 14, 50 foot pine trees, uprooted and laying across the lawn. The majestic beauties stood in a line in our front yard from the road to the house on the SE side. Two trees remain standing today, the two that would have fallen on our home crushing the bedroom where my daughter lay napping. Closer to the house near, infront of those two trees was a huge Box Elder tree that lost branches in any heavy breeze, did not topple nor lose a branch. God protected my daughter.
(fallen trees root balls)
The power? Well, we had power, sort of. When the shed was pushed off it's foundation it pushed against the guide wire to one of the power poles, making it lean and pulling taut all the power lines to the house. They did not snap, but it was a precarious situation. It was not safe to use the electricity. God protected us from live, broken power lines and potential fire.
An incredible testimony to God's faithfulness in our lives. We have built a new shed and replanted trees. But we remember His hand of protection always as we look at the remaining two trees tower over our house.
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