Tornado Warning!

Today we had our first tornado warning in the new house.   It was also the first time the kids were old enough to ask questions and sense my anxiety.  Tornados are rare in Maryland; however, when my phone starts blowing up from alerts coming in, EF0 or EF5, we are going to find shelter.  I instructed the kids to find a blanket, grab a toy for Parker, and head to the basement.

I quickly faced the reality that we do not have a finished basement.  Lowest floor, yes, but there is nothing tornado safe about where we hid.  Our cellar has 4 windows, Jason's wall of tools/nails/wrenches/other deadly flying objects, and no closed in space.  All I could do was pray that God would keep us safe.

Under the basement stairs.  Braylen kept Parker close the entire
time.  Look how nervous he looks...

My phone is a major distraction in my life, yet today, I was so thankful for real time updates across social media.  I was exchanging pictures of our tornado bunkers with my neighbor, texting my sister to make sure they were safe, and messaging my friend out in Carroll County (west of us) for her eye witness account of the storm blowing through.  I was constantly checking radar and just waiting to hear the wind.

Maybe our almost 100 year old cellar was a safe place after all; we heard hardly anything down there.  We got the all clear and came out to assess damage.  A few branches on the street, but not much.  Thank you God.

We came to find out that a tornado did touch down in Western Howard County and made it almost to Ellicott City (a few miles from our house).  We had friends with major tree damage, check this out!

The kids and I discussed what happened and decided that the hall coat closet might be a safer place for our next tornado warning.  My sweet boy was terrified and keeps asking us if a tornado is coming.  Poor boy has been up screaming tonight about it.  He's my boy, a lover a radar checking and tornado fearing.