[2/11/13 Update: more details here.]
2/10/13 When the storms came through today we had our share of sirens and warnings, but nary a tornado. Just some garden-variety thunderstorms and a few periods of heavy rain. Ginger was very disappointed. He had stationed himself on the porch with his book about tornadoes, a pad of paper and pencil (for taking notes and making sketches) and his camera. I took a few snapshots of clouds but I was cynical enough to know that we weren't going to see the faintest wisp of tornado. Once the main portion passed by I got on with the business of cooking dinner.
We got a phone call sometime a little later from a parishioner who was a bit shaken after having seen a tornado in Hattiesburg while driving on a highway. He said it was "huge". We all started checking on folks who live in that area. The tally so far: one family without power and everyone accounted for. A few minutes ago we got word from that parishioner that the Red Cross office in Hattiesburg (where he works) was destroyed along with one of their emergency response vehicles and two other vehicles. Rather unfortunate. I saw a few photos of the tornado on the news and it certainly would leave you shaken up if you came upon it unawares while driving. It caused "some significant damage" on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi but details aren't available yet.* Injuries have been reported but no deaths (that I'm aware of).
So, just to let everyone know, we're ok and we think all the Hattiesburg members are ok as well.
[Update: more details available here.]
(Just found this video:) Note: Hardy Street, where the video ends, is right across from the SMU campus.
2/10/13 When the storms came through today we had our share of sirens and warnings, but nary a tornado. Just some garden-variety thunderstorms and a few periods of heavy rain. Ginger was very disappointed. He had stationed himself on the porch with his book about tornadoes, a pad of paper and pencil (for taking notes and making sketches) and his camera. I took a few snapshots of clouds but I was cynical enough to know that we weren't going to see the faintest wisp of tornado. Once the main portion passed by I got on with the business of cooking dinner.
We got a phone call sometime a little later from a parishioner who was a bit shaken after having seen a tornado in Hattiesburg while driving on a highway. He said it was "huge". We all started checking on folks who live in that area. The tally so far: one family without power and everyone accounted for. A few minutes ago we got word from that parishioner that the Red Cross office in Hattiesburg (where he works) was destroyed along with one of their emergency response vehicles and two other vehicles. Rather unfortunate. I saw a few photos of the tornado on the news and it certainly would leave you shaken up if you came upon it unawares while driving. It caused "some significant damage" on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi but details aren't available yet.* Injuries have been reported but no deaths (that I'm aware of).
So, just to let everyone know, we're ok and we think all the Hattiesburg members are ok as well.
[Update: more details available here.]
(Just found this video:) Note: Hardy Street, where the video ends, is right across from the SMU campus.
2 comments:
Wow- that is some video! Gregory was worried that it was going to Delaware and he was concerned for his grandparents. What a sweetie!
It looks like along part of its 20 mile path it was rated an EF-4 - quite impressive indeed! It's absolutely remarkable that there were no fatalities. The USM campus was largely empty due to Mardi Gras holiday and people were mostly at home because it was Sunday. There was a good amount of warning (up to 30 minutes in places) too and all of those factors contributed.
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