We were wakened the night before last at 2:00 AM by our little cat, Silky, trying to get our attention. There had been considerable lightning and thunder, not unexpected, for several hours. Suddenly, the wind picked up to a swirling gale. Small branches and hail pummeled the roof. We then realized that the power was out (not to return until 9:30 last night). The wind calmed down, then the tornado warning sirens began to wail. Power had not returned in the morning, but fortunately, we had natural gas for cooking. We had internet for a while, and I had been able to watch the storm radar and knew the squall line was severe. We didn't know until yesterday morning how severe it was.

Within a block of our house more than a dozen homes had been severely damaged by falling trees, mostly pines; however, hardwoods were not immune. I would estimate the damage in our neighborhood alone to be in excess of a million dollars. Although there were numerous tree falls throughout the area, a path of severe damage could be tracked for several miles. This track was about 100 to 200 yards wide and runs for at least four miles from the WSW to the ENE. Trees are uprooted, but many were sheared at 10-15 feet off the ground. The trees fell in all directions, but predominately from the west to the east and south to north. In one yard just to the west of us, two large pines fell to the north, but a larger one fell to the south. Their trunks lay parallel to each other. In a yard across the street, eleven of twelve pines fell severely damaging two houses.

About two miles to the WSW, definitely in the line we were in, a large tree fell on a house killing a 34 year-old woman and her seven year old son. Her toddler daughter was unhurt, and was found asleep in the wreckage seven hours after the storm hit. The woman's sister came to the house to see why her sister did not show up to work. Most of the fatalities, seven in all were related to trees falling on houses. One man was killed while he slept in an RV. One man was killed when his trailer home was rolled over in the wind. I understand CNN had pictures of a crushed car. That happened about a mile east of us in a high class neighborhood that was as badly hit or worse than we were.

I purchased a battery backup for the computer and other systems yesterday. The sudden drops of power we experience around here can't do any good. I will also get a plug in telephone, as the wireless don't work well without AC power. The backup power supply should help that problem, though.

We talked to a couple last night at Starbucks. Several trees hit their house. One of their vehicles is partially destroyed in their garage. The trees penetrated the roof and ceiling. They are trying to hold out in spite of not having power. The car pictured on CNN was next door to them.

The next group of storms is due in a few days, but is not expected to be severe.

Portia