Crazy weather

We are getting really fed up with this storm season! It is so unpredictable and very scary!
After spending most of my life in tornado alley, I have become pretty laid back when it comes to severe weather. I've become desensitized to the warnings. But since I've had kids, and after seeing the devastation in Joplin on Sunday, I have more anxiety than I ever have. We bought a case of bottled water and some brand new flashlights to put in the basement. We wanted to buy a weather radio, but Walmart can't keep them in stock!

This morning was pretty scary! After a morning weather report stating that the entire metro was only under a slight risk of severe weather, the entire area experienced severe weather...including tornadoes! A tornado touched down in Louisburg and lifted a truck into the air. Luckily, the driver and the driver of the car it landed on were safe! The storm moved north along 69 and started to move to the east. We had funnel clouds drop down over our neighborhood and people from my work watched debris flying through the air northeast of our office (assuming it was 135th and Metcalf area). Someone posted this picture (taken from Blue River Elementary, SE of 159th and Nall) looking North over the Hampton Place Subdivision (our old neighborhood). I heard there was some damage reported in Hampton Place, but I do not believe that this ever touched the ground. Can you imagine the devastation if it did?

Luckily, Olathe was spared any of the severe weather, so the kids and both Heath and I were out of harms way. Heath spent a lot of time in the basement of Garmin, and Lisa had the kids in the basement at her house. We didn't do much at my office...we just watched the radar and got updates online. We don't have a basement in our aluminum building...we'll just have to hope that the bathrooms protect us enough!

I went home after the storm passed and took this picture of the back side of the storm from my car at 159th and Metcalf. At this point the storm was in Prairie Village.

We're keeping all of the people in Reading, KS, Joplin, MO and now Sedalia, MO in our prayers. It's hard to underestimate what mother nature can throw at us after seeing the damage done in these places over the past week.