Wonderings from the Westerngate

First of all we overslept. We both ran out of here at 7:30 a.m.

It was raining but not really heavy. My office has windows on the south and west, so I can see most of the weather movement. About 8 a.m. it got pretty black and nasty looking. I was watching the weather and noticed the "funny looking" clouds and thought to myself, that looks like a funnel cloud with no funnel. If you saw it on TV, it never got the defined funnel, it was wide.

Anyway about that time our HS principal came into the main office and announced for everyone to move to the interior. Since I am on the "emergency team" I stayed up front for direction. It was still just really black and rainy outside.

I have to say here, that it is unbelievable to me the people who will get out in bad weather or send faxes, or call the school to get their children released to drive home alone in bad weather. It happens everytime we have a storm.

Anyway, we stayed in lockdown and heard about the tornado. It hit downtown. About a half mile from where my husband works and my friend Chris works right where it hit.

Thankfully no one was hurt. Cars were overturned at Target. Again no one hurt.

It was a scary, hectic day. Once we came off of weather alert, we fed 1300 kids in 55 minutes. It was one mass line constantly moving. They ate in the gym and lunchroom.

Our kids were so awesome, so well behaved, so understanding. We were blessed.

Our staff is awesome too. Everyone worked together. HS & Adult programs. I did everything from checkout to radio watch, to checking on our diabetic kids, to trash duty in the lunch room. Several of us just kept moving to where we were needed.

We've had a massive amount of rain, which we need. Everyone got home safe and sound. My son who lives in Ft. Walton came through okay too. Everything was cancelled tonite including the opening of the fair. Which I was glad of as I don't think I could do the fair tonite after today. We have more rain in store for tonite and tomorrow. We'll see what happens tomorrow. What a day! So glad it wasn't worse.

:J