WOW!, Just WOW! Tornado goes by my office building!

Gumbeaux · #1 10-29-2009, 10:15 PM

We are "under the gun" with severe weather in North Louisiana. I was looking at weather.com on the computer at my office and noticed that there was confirmed sighting of a tornado in the southern part of the city several miles away from my office building. I looked out of window of my office (I'm on the 14th floor) knowing that I could probably see it. I did! It picked up debris and pigeons and forced them into the windows. The force of the wind was so great that it made the 14 story building that I'm in shake.

Here are a few cell phone pictures that I took just outside my office. I've been without power for a few hours so I am just now able to post these pictures.

charley · #2 10-29-2009, 10:21 PM

I know how scary those winds can be! Heard you've also received a lot of rain. Nine inches in a few hours? And your October total is close to 20? We've had it bad down here in BR, but about half that much rain. It's been the crappiest October I can remember.

Randi R · #3 10-29-2009, 10:22 PM

I sure hope that you and all friends/family/colleagues are ok. Those photos were from a cell phone ?? wow...

Beth · #4 10-29-2009, 11:02 PM

The rain has been so scattered about here that I'm not sure what we've had today, but local creeks are flooding tonight and there is more on the way. We've been under all kinds of watches and warnings, including tornadoes, but nothing spotted in our area that I know of. Sounds like we get another band through here tomorrow.

I htink I mentioned this once before -- someone was telling me about a friend of theirs whose job was impacted by the weather so they had some long term forecasting service. Back in June or July, the person told me they had heard that the hot and dry was to continue through August (which it did) and that November was going to be a very wet month. If October didn't rate a mention, November is going to worry me.

Stay safe Gumbeaux!

Jazzmatazz49 · #5 10-30-2009, 06:43 AM

I wondered how you fared during all this. We were in Claiborne Parish at my parents' and nothing much happened here. I'm heading back to Minden at daylight to check on our house, but I heard from a neighbor that we had mostly flooding and not much tree damage. We are on top of a hill, so I figure we are fine. I'm going to try to enjoy the day off school!

ChristyMarie · #6 10-30-2009, 07:05 AM

How scary - glad you are ok.

At work once a tornado passed a few blocks away - blowing off large pieces of the roof next to us. We watched them blow off. Creepy.

LakeMartinGal · #7 10-30-2009, 08:12 AM

Fantastic photos! And I'm glad you're ok!

wallycat · #8 10-30-2009, 08:31 AM

Yikes!!!
I hope not too much damage and no injuries.....tornadoes are scary---how well we in Wisconsin know!!

Jessnc · #9 10-30-2009, 08:31 AM

That does look like it was scary! I'm glad it wasn't worse. Tornadoes must be terrifying to experience.

Your cell phone does take really good pictures!

SDMomChef · #10 10-30-2009, 08:51 AM

Wow is right! It is amazing how much damage can be done in a short period of time.

On the Today show this morning, they were showing a picture of a steeple that was torn off a church and landed on a car - and miraculously the driver only had slight injuries.

Gumbeaux · #11 10-30-2009, 09:53 AM

I work about a block away from the church that had the steeple blown off. It was the first thing I saw after the tornado blew by. I could see emergency personnel trying to remove the guy in the car that was crushed by the steeple.

I took some pictures of the church without the steeple taken right after the tornado and will post them later when I get home. The pictures aren't real good because they were taken about a block away from the church with a cell phone and taken through the raindrop covered window in my office.

Thanks everyone for your concerns about my safety-I am fine. However, I felt a little wimpy the moment the tornado made the building shake.

sneezles · #12 10-30-2009, 09:59 AM

Wow! I'm glad you're okay and I know how it feels to escape harm from a tornado. When I was about 12 my mom came upstairs to get us all down in the basement just before one hit. About 5 minutes after leaving my bedroom the window imploded and my mattress was embedded with glass...gave me nightmares for ages!

TieKitty · #13 10-30-2009, 10:13 AM

I'm glad you are OK. A tornado is so destructive and unpredictable. When I was 6 I saw one "up close and personal". I have an extremely healthy respect for them.

I don't know anyone who wouldn't feel a little "wimpy" on the 14th floor of a building during a tornado. It makes me shudder just thinking about it.

Kahlico · #14 10-30-2009, 10:29 AM

Growing up near Moore, OK, the tornado magnet of the world, I'm still close to hyperventilating when there's even a threat of a tornado. When Shane and I visited our family in March 2008, a there were tornado threats all evening. We were staying with Shane's parents. It was past 10:00 p.m., we were still watching T.V. to track the tornadoes when the power went out. I clutched Shane and feared for the worst.

So wimpy up on the 14th floor with a tornado's going by your building? Not a bit. I'm glad you're okay!

TKay · #15 10-30-2009, 10:30 AM

I think your subject line bears repeating. Wow. Just wow. (Glad you're safe.)

Gumbeaux · #16 10-30-2009, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDMomChef

On the Today show this morning, they were showing a picture of a steeple that was torn off a church and landed on a car - and miraculously the driver only had slight injuries.

Here are two photos that I took of the church from my office building. The first one was taken in April; the second one was taken yesterday just after the tornado hit.

Here is the news story.

SDMomChef · #17 10-30-2009, 12:17 PM

Gumbeaux, that first picture really gives perspective to the steeple being torn off! On the Today show, it was hard to grasp how big the steeple was.

Gumbeaux · #18 10-30-2009, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDMomChef

Gumbeaux, that first picture really gives perspective to the steeple being torn off! On the Today show, it was hard to grasp how big the steeple was.

Yeah, the picture in the news link shows that the steeple is taller than the fire truck.

TKay · #19 10-30-2009, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumbeaux

Yeah, the picture in the news link shows that the steeple is taller than the fire truck.

Yikes! I wouldn't want to be on the street when that happened.

Terri_A · #20 10-30-2009, 03:22 PM

Wow....mother nature sure is a powerful woman! I'm glad that you were okay (even if you felt a little less than manly at the time)! I hope there weren't people hurt, although I can't imagine what the guy in the car with the steeple on it must have been feeling!

Randi R · #21 10-30-2009, 08:57 PM

How are things out there now? I heard on the news this morning that it was still storming??

oct2189 · #22 10-30-2009, 09:06 PM

Wow!

I hope people are safe. I always think that's a helluvalot scarier than any earthquake I've been in, and I've lived in California my entire life!

Gumbeaux · #23 10-30-2009, 09:08 PM

It stopped raining this afternoon and the sun came out. I think Mississippi is getting the rain now.

Jazzmatazz49 · #24 10-31-2009, 07:29 AM

If I remember correctly, the FUMC steeple is the second one they've had. I can't remember what happened to the first one, but maybe God is trying to tell them something?

Yay sun! I hope it hangs around for a few days. I've never seen so much water in October.

Gumbeaux · #25 10-31-2009, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jazzmatazz49

.......... maybe God is trying to tell them something?

I heard that Dr. Pat Day's sermon is tomorrow going to be about the steeple. I'll have to either watch it on TV or watch it online.

Jazzmatazz49 · #26 10-31-2009, 01:16 PM

I often watch him on Sunday morning. I will definitely watch tomorrow.

avariell · #27 10-31-2009, 01:53 PM

Next time a tornado is a block away, you should move away from the window and down a few floors.

Gumbeaux · #28 10-31-2009, 04:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SDMomChef

On the Today show, it was hard to grasp how big the steeple was.

I took this photo a few hours ago. I waited for passersby so that there would be some scale.

Jessnc · #29 10-31-2009, 04:54 PM

WOW! That really gives perspective on how big the steeple is! If anyone saw that being torn off the church during the tornado, they must have been terrified. I wonder how the person in the car that got crushed fared.

Gumbeaux · #30 10-31-2009, 05:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jessnc

I wonder how the person in the car that got crushed fared.

Here is some information.

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