Powers ON!

Friday night we had a thunderstorm. But this wasn't just your run of the mill summer shower, it was something else. A really long and powerful line of storms moved quickly across the area and left an enormous amount of destruction behind it. Lots of trees came down, the power went out and we lost our phones and cell phone coverage too. It made for an interesting weekend.

There was not a lot of warning that this storm was coming but it packed the punch of a hurricane. Fortunately, Ralph had checked on the weather report for camp and noticed the severe weather warning on his phone so we had gone outside to collect the loose stuff off the back porch. Lots of towels and swimsuits out there drying. I think they would have blown away otherwise.

Lauren had been babysitting. I texted her as the storm hit so that she could have the kids help her find a flashlight or two. I didn't get a text back from her so I was then concerned that she was driving home, which she was. I was sitting upstairs on Geral's bed watching out the window and was so happy to see her turn down our street. When I met her as she came in the door, she was half laughing as she said, "That was the most terrifying drive I have ever taken." Then in the comfort of being home safe, the really of her terror hit her and she started to cry. When she left their house, the wind has picked up and she could tell a storm was coming but she didn't expect the severity of what hit her. The car was being blown around and tree limbs were falling around her as she drove. She didn't feel like she could pull over to the side and wait because that put her closer to the trees. She drove close to the center of the road and still was dodging branches. All the lights went out, both from houses and street lights. The lightening was so fast, it was like a strobe light. All added up to a scary drive home. We are glad that it was only three miles and that she made it safely.

Sarah was at her last night of girls camp. They cut their meeting short and herded all the girls into the dining hall. They entertained each other with songs and skits while the storm raged around them. Lots of trees came down and a couple of tents collapsed. I believe a few girls had some unsecured belongings blow away. It was an adventure to end a great week of activities.

We were without power for about 44 hours. Ralph got the generator out to keep the fridge and freezer cold. It was strange how isolating this storm was. Usually, even without power you know what is going on. All our means of communication went down. We didn't have phone, internet or cell. Ralph and I drove to a couple of houses to check on ward members but we didn't even have a way of communicating with our families. That was pretty different. We have become accustomed to so easily communicating with others, it was strange to not be.