Now you see 'em, now you don't....

....I'm talking about homes, and schools, and businesses.  OUCH!

 Dallas area tornado damage from yesterday.

Tell me again how "climate change" is just a figment of our imagination?  This is NOT tornado season, nor is it normal to be wearing shorts at Christmas time, at least in the northern hemisphere, but it happened.  I know....I was preparing to head to more substantial shelter and had to decide whether to wear my shorts or take along my heavy winter coat, as it's supposed to turn blustery cold.  (I did both.)

We saw this coming.  Right now it's snowing in west Texas....1 to 2 FEET is expected....being blown around by 50-70 mph winds.  Drifts of 8-10 feet are expected!  In Texas!  Meanwhile, on our side of the front, it has been record setting warm....as I said, mid-70's.  And if you'll think back to meteorology 101, heat and cold that close do not play well together.

Sure enough, BOOM!

By mid afternoon yesterday super-cell thunderstorms were firing up south of Dallas, which is where we do not want to see them.  That's because these super-cells and their tornadoes travel north and east.  By about dusk they were here.  One coming up through downtown Dallas looked for a while like it would move right up towards Frisco and our humble abode. 

Fortunately for us it fell apart before it got here, but I had already told K to get together a few things and prepare to head to our parking garage.  We live in an apartment community where 4-story apartments made of lumber and brick/stone surround a very solid concrete 4-story parking garage.  We can get from our apartment to the safety of that concrete structure in <30 seconds.  Our apartments might explode, but our garage won't.  

I'm thinking K must have been a Boy Scout in a previous life.  She's "Always Prepared".  We keep some essentials in our respective cars, and it's pretty simple to grab wallets, keys, and of course the dog.  I felt rather stupid grabbing my heavy winter coat when it was still in the 70's, but today as advertised it's in the 40's and dropping, and raining heavily.

The major destruction and 11 deaths occurred from Ellis county to our south, up through south Garland, Rowlett, and the areas around Lake Lavon, east of me.  Eight of those fatalities were killed when cars they were riding in went airborne....they probably never even saw it coming as it was nighttime....and slammed down on their roofs.  My former home town had upwards of 600 homes damaged to some degree.

For those so inclined, you can text REDCROSS to 90999 to give a $10 donation.  Prayers would be very appreciated, too.

S