#SOL23: Friday
The siren sounded. Similar to the one we had heard at noon. Different in that it kept blaring. And then phones erupted. A few had noisily sounded alerts, but now they went off across the room. A room with about twenty-five quilters. A few had peeled off just after lunch when the news was heard about school dismissing early. “Was it a watch?’ “Was it a warning?’ Just what was the difference?
Take shelter NOW!
no more wondering. no more prevaricating. no more wanna-be storm chasers.
Basement NOW!
Anxiously clutching our only lifelines – our cell phones – we descended into the basement.
Almost immediately we were hearing news of tornados on the ground in nearby communities. Pictures were shared of the times when the storms were expected in the neighboring towns. South. No, west. No, east. It seemed like there were multiple storm locations. Tornado Clusters. I heard from Ohio friends that Brooklyn had made the news. That was a sigh of relief for me since it was 50 miles away. Facts. Uncertainties. It felt like the old game of “telephone” was playing out. Repeating stories didn’t help. It didn’t make them more untrue. It didn’t make them the truth. Just more examples of what others were seeing or hearing outside our bubble.
Warning extended. And we were antsy. Ready to escape. Eager to learn “the rest of the story. As a country girl, I had to ask what the “all clear” sound would be. I had guessed correctly, but it was a relief to hear the “all clear” signal.
Some quilters were still huddled around phones seeking news. Others reported on the stories being shared with them. Some returned to their sewing projects. Ears perked up at keywords and phrases – especially locations. Both my out-of-state brother and sister were reporting more accurate news than we had in our isolated small town in rural southeast Iowa. The news was faster than the tornadoes that had just blown through southeast Iowa.
MEANWHILE
We were still making plans to view Iowa’s Final Four game in two hours.
We were still checking the weather and the news.
We wanted it all.
Accurate locations of the tornadoes, the damages, and the status of loved ones (not in that order).
Organized. Planned. Retreated to ESPN viewing zones.
And what a game.
Knocking off an undefeated team.
Lights out basketball.
And then off to bed.
The aftermath . . . slowly revealed.
Saturday
Highway 92 was closed (but not listed on 511).
County road 78 was closed (listed under road improvements on 511 beginning in two days).
Fields were quilted with chunks of trees that all seem to be toothpick-sized or
Chunks of metal that looked like tin foil “crumpled in a giant fist”,
Utility trucks lined the shoulders and ditches as they endeavored to bring power back;
Power= a necessity of life.
Houses and buildings were completely demolished.
Houses and buildings that were not habitable
For humans or animals.
Electric poles snapped in half.
Live wires on the ground.
Dangerous conditions.
The result of F4 tornadoes.
From a calm, productive quilting retreat to sheltering from a tornado to a Final Four victory to viewing devastation.
So many
hopes
dreams
fears
And yet, all humans survived.
How eventful was your final slicing day? Did you find yourself writing on Saturday?
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Two Writing Teachers, for this weekly forum. Check out the writers and readers here.
#SOL22: April
April could be . . .
The 5 letter daily Wordle
Sunshine
Warmth
Full of green growth
Budding flowers
But instead
April is
Snow
Wind
Snow Again
Wind
Tornadoes
Weather alerts
Severe storms
Slow to warm
Only one crocus
Daring to bloom
Wind roaring
Coats required
April
This fourth month
Unseasonably cool
Slowly greening
One third gone
Unsettling
Fleeting seconds of joy
Amidst gloomy, grey and dreary days.
Where is spring?
Will it be a short spring? What will nature bring? What weather patterns will you see in April?
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Check out the writers and readers here.
#SOLSC21: Weather
Sunday: cloudy and rainy
Monday: cloudy and rainy
Tuesday: cloudy and rainy
Wednesday: cloudy and rainy
Thursday: cloudy and rainy
Friday: cloudy and rainy
Saturday: cloudy and rainy
An entire week: cloudy and rainy
I miss the sun
That bright, shining light
Is absent from our days.
Instead we have stormy weather
Deadly weather
Flowers slowly growing
Slowly beginning to bloom
The third crocus reveals its colors
And one daffodil opens.
When will others join the party?
Are they waiting for the sun?
Or just warmer weather?
How is the weather impacting you? What signs of spring are slowly appearing in your neighborhood?
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Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for this daily forum during the month of March. Check out the writers and readers here.
#SOL20: Unfortunately/ Fortunately
Unfortunately:
It is past the middle of October. October weather is fickle. Sometimes the first snow has fallen before Halloween. More often than not, the first “measurable snowfall” occurs much later.
This warning yesterday was not unexpected. Last week the ten day forecast showed snow . . .
for Thursday . . .
NOT for Monday.
This tweet also showed up in my weather alerts but I dismissed it. Not my problem. Not my part of the state. (Little did I know that it would be a part of my “What on Earth Should I Write About” slice today.)
A snow squall. We had just discussed this in a Twitter group last week when there were snow squalls in Canada. Words, meanings, and application.
Snow squall in Iowa on October 19, 2020. Ironic?
Straight across Iowa. Straight across I-80. The line typically between ice and snow.
The same line that the derecho followed in August. Every other month weather occurrences. Two months and nine days apart. Freaky!
Fortunately:
North of me,
Knock on wood,
Not my part of the state.
An hour away.
Sigh of relief and thankfulness.
Weather changes . . . How do they impact adults? How do they impact students, families and communities? How do our reactions contribute to our own physical and mental security? How are we REALLY coping with all the stresses in our lives?
Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for this weekly forum. Check out the writers and readers here.
#SOL20: A Single Hour
Let me be perfectly clear. I’m lucky I live in SE Iowa. Out of range.
Yes, it was black out. Yes, I watched as the wooden chair tipped over and was pushed across the deck. Then another chair twisted in the wind as it toppled over. The glass-topped patio table danced three feet across the deck. I watched the plants in pots in plant stands topple over. Living green leaves attached to skinny branches were driven into the ground like darts and soon dotted every square foot of the yard. Dead branches looked like Tinker toys as they fell from the trees.
Wind, yes.
Scary, yes.
Life-threatening, no.
Loss of electricity, no.
Damage to homes, no.
I’m lucky.
Our area was lucky.
Others not so much.
A derecho hit Iowa last week.
A tornado with category two hurricane force winds.
Little notice.
Folks now living in tents. No electricity. No food. No water. No showers. No internet. No phones. No air conditioning. No fans. No light. No electricity. No viable homes.
Day 6 . . . 90,000 without power.
60 minutes
Day 7 . . . 63,000 without power.
Day 8 . . . over 30,000 without power.
- Linemen working night and day.
- Debris that must be removed.
- Crews from as far as Canada are on the ground providing assistance.
And yet many are existing in tents. 20,000 fed, Covid-safely, yesterday.
3,600 seconds later . . .
Early estimate: 10,000,000 acres of crops look like this. Ten million acres.
2020 . . . the year that just keeps giving . . .
Thank you, Two Writing Teachers, for this weekly forum. Check out the writers and readers here.
#SOL19: Day 29 SOLSC
Day 29
Rise and Shine
Walk the narrow line.
Check out the view
What is there to do?
Two days ago the temp was 72
Tonight the forecast includes snow
and wintry mix with winds that will blow.
How will the rest of the week go?
I fear March may yet go out like a lion . . .
The uncertainty of wintry possibilities
Makes for a leery traveler.
But maybe it will reduce that TBR pile.
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Kelsey, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for this daily March forum from Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
#SOL19: Day 26 SOLSC
What will the weather be?
Do we celebrate the possibilities?Â
Or bemoan the results?
(Totally beyond our control like many other things in our lives – personal and school.)
From Enchanted Learning . . . Weather words that begin with “S” . . .
Wednesday’s predicted high is 69 degrees.Â
Snow is predicted for Friday night.Â
Which prediction do I want to be correct?Â
How will I celebrate on Wednesday?
How does the weather pendulum impact student learning?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Kelsey, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for this daily March forum from Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
#SOL19: Day 14 SOLSC
UGH!
Will the weather make it two in a row?Â
Hope?
Disappointment?Â
Which will reign?
Cyclone bomb in Colorado?Â
Winter has not been following a predictable pattern . . .
What’s next?
What will happen . . . ?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Kelsey, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for this daily March forum from Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
How do you REALLY feel about cliffhangers?Â
Have you identified the characters? setting? possible solution?Â
You will have to stay tuned for the solution!
#SOL19: To Celebrate or NOT!
Embrace it!
Be joyful!
Enjoy it!
It’s inevitable!
It’s only mid-February!
More snow coming tomorrow!
We’ve had 16 snow/winter storms that have been names. That means 16 storms that have affected two million people or more. So they are NOT just local storms. They don’t fade out after “the big dump”; instead they hang around trying to create new records for the longest snow, the coldest snow, the deepest snow, and the dubious
The Most Snowfall in the Winter!
We now equal the Fifth Snowiest winter in the history of winter records. More than 40 inches of snow. A lot of snow. Snow that looks pretty . . .
for maybe the first five minutes.
Snow,
Snow,
Go away!
Snow that might be enjoyable in the right company:
snow people
snow kids
snowy kids
snow shoveling kids
snowy grandkids.
Snow,
some days pretty,
some days annoying,
often creating travel hazards.
Snow,
almost daily
bracing
for the deluge.
Snow,
white
pretty
and endless.
Snow,
a challenge
to navigate
on foot or on wheels!
Are you celebrating this wintery “white stuff”?Â
Or are you ready for it to end?
What’s your current take on the weather?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Kelsey, Lanny, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum from Two Writing Teachers. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.
#SOLSC17: Storm Saga
The storm damage reports continue.
The story began yesterday here.
One local school here and here.
Relocating for the remainder of the year
F2 Category
Winds at approximately 120 miles per hour . . .
“Update: We will be using the Seymour Care Center and the Methodist Church to finish out the school year.
Care Center: 3yr old preschool -12th classes
Methodist Church: Vocal, Band, and Family Consumer Science classes (students will be bused to these classes)
There will be no school through Friday, March 10th. We will keep you posted if we have to add more days.
We would like to thank the our community, all emergency personnel, and surrounding communities and schools for all of your support and prayers. We will need volunteers when we are able to start moving classrooms to the Care Center.
Again we will keep you updated as we know more.” Source
How do you measure hope? Â
How do you measure pride in your community?
How do you show your strength?
How do you measure resiliency?
Thank you, Betsy, Beth, Deb, Kathleen, Lanny, Lisa, Melanie, and Stacey for this weekly forum and the #SOLSC that runs from March 1 to the 31st. Check out the writers, readers and teachers here.Â
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