How I Happened to Survive a Tornado in Oklahoma City

– Posted in: Grief, Life is Dangerous, Memories, Personal Insanity, Tammy Thinks, Worst Mom Randomness

Here’s a not-widely-known fact: I was born in Oklahoma City. Now you can all go hack into one of the random accounts I safeguarded with that drop-down question…

I only lived in the great state of Oklahoma for two years, and I really don’t recall much — shadowy memories of walking out of a bedroom in footy pajamas and being mad because I wasn’t allowed to paint Christmas ornaments. Last night, after I found out about the devastating tornado that ripped through the town of Moore, right next to Oklahoma City, I went and dug out my baby book to find the address of the house where we lived. It was about 20 miles away from the area that was hit the worst.

We lived in a cute little brick house on Miller Avenue. One night, a tornado took out a house that was one down from ours. My dad said it cut a swath a couple hundred feet wide and wiped out everything in its path. We just happened to not be in its way.

Brick house in Oklahoma City 1969 Miller Street

Today, I’m just feeling so sad for everyone who happened to be in the way of this one.

A woman carries her child through a field near the collapsed Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore, Okla., Monday, May 20, 2013. A tornado as much as a mile (1.6 kilometers) wide with winds up to 200 mph (320 kph) roared through the Oklahoma City suburbs Monday, flattening entire neighborhoods, setting buildings on fire and landing a direct blow on an elementary school. (AP Photo Sue Ogrocki)

Photograph by Sue Ogrocki/AP

The Red Cross is taking donations here.

 

7 Comments… add one

Molly May 22, 2013, 3:23 am

Sigh. (I’d like to say just that alone, but I can’t; your spam detector wants more content.)

This is hard. I think of it all, again and again. Can’t stop.

I prefer no disasters, please. Natural or unnatural.

Andrea May 22, 2013, 7:28 am

I couldn’t have said it better myself, Molly. Sigh indeed.
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Tammy May 22, 2013, 7:31 am

Stupid spam detector. That really is the best response.

Randy May 22, 2013, 11:04 am

Traggic how many homes and properties were destroyed in the tornadoes. Its sad turning on the news and seeing all of the destruction.

Thank you for providing the link to donate to the red cross!

Tammy May 29, 2013, 1:46 pm

I know. It’s like something out of a movie where aliens invade.

K.M. OSullivan May 22, 2013, 3:46 pm

I don’t believe in fate, the grace of god, or preordained journeys, but I do believe there are life lessons to be learned when we see ourselves standing on the other side of disaster…even if the disaster merely brushed against our arm like a stranger moving quickly through the crowd.
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Tammy May 29, 2013, 1:46 pm

You always say things so perfectly.

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