Thursday, May 7, 2015

Tornado in Kansas, Of Course

A year ago, we were on our 7,000 mile road trip. As we watch the national news, we are so happy not to be roaming around the middle of the country right now. The tornado damaged in Oklahoma looked horrible. We would have been right there when the tornado set down if we were on the road this year. So many storms along Highway 40 and even snow up north on Highway 80!

On one of our first big trips in 2000, we were in a brand new red BMW and learning how to travel out of suitcases. This was before I was ill. We never made hotel reservations as we didn't know how far we would feel like driving that day and I didn't need oxygen waiting for me at the hotel.

It had been a long day: Salt Lake City then south through Denver before heading east again to Kansas. Ah, Kansas. The Land of Oz. Flat. Endless corn fields. A few miles past the state line, we noticed people stopping along the interstate and looking at the horizon. What did we know? We were from California. We decided to stop for the night in a little town consisting of a gas station, a church and a Walmart. Next to the Walmart was a hotel.

"Do you have a room available for the night?" we asked. She looked at us in horror. "Don't you know a tornado is due to set down here in 10 minutes?!?!?" That was why people were out of their cars looking at the sky!

I asked if we could park our new car under their front entrance to protect it. She told us it the whole front may collapse and it would be safer to take it to the Walmart parking lot. It would have a chance there.

There was one room left. The honeymoon suite. We were not in it for very long as all the hotel guests and staff were instructed to sit in a hallway on the first floor away from all the windows. We waited. We heard the winds and the hail. We worried about the car.

The tornado set down 10 miles away. Waaay too close. After a couple of hours, we headed back to our room and slept the night. In the morning, we made our way to our car. We were rather surprised to discover that it was fine.

It was our first and only tornado. I never want to deal with another one. After six cross-country road trips, we have been blessed with exceptional weather, no car problems and missed storms or tornadoes by a day, expect that night in Kansas. It will never be forgotten!

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