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The only tornado I’ve ever seen was in the “Wizard of Oz.” That was until April 30.
I was enjoying a relaxing Sunday evening until I heard the high-pitched alert go off on my cell phone. I was in my bedroom and took a quick glance at the phone screen assuming it was a severe thunderstorm alert. The message was a tornado warning and said to take shelter.
I hesitated and thought that can’t be right. I didn’t get a watch first. Next, I walked past the laundry room on the way to the kitchen and noticed the washing machine stopped in mid cycle. I was annoyed. The electricity went off. A minute later, the power came back on, and my son simultaneously yelled, “I see a tornado, go to the bathroom now!”
We all ran to the tub, and I peeked outside the back window to catch a glimpse of the ominous funnel shape that contained swirling debris. My son, daughter and I huddled in the tub in disbelief. There were prayers recited out loud and lots of fear in the close and wet quarters. My daughter had her phone and started texting her best friend. I made her call my husband who was on the way home from his mom’s place. I didn’t want him to drive in the tornado.
We sat for about five minutes. It felt longer. Once we realized we were out of danger, the texts, photos and calls started flooding in. I received photos of demolished homes.
It looked fake, but I knew it was real. I recognized many of these homes because they were only a couple miles away. Some were in my old neighborhood.
I texted neighbors and friends to check on them. I had people check on me because the tornado clipped my street too. I received concerned and heart warming texts from my child’s bus driver, old preschool teacher and others. We were spared and one of the fortunate ones. Unfortunately, I personally know way too many that weren’t so lucky. They lost homes, cars, roofs, boats, sheds, windows and huge trees.
It’s truly a miracle that everyone survived and no serious injuries were reported. However, it’s still a huge tragedy for the Great Neck area. As the rest of the city goes on with their lives, the 23454 will never look the same. I have no idea when these homes will be rebuilt. Beautiful trees that lined the Chelsea neighborhood were scalped. Families are displaced and are searching for long-term rentals. That’s not easy when you have school-aged children. Some are getting ready to graduate high school and probably had plans for hosting a graduation party at their home. The logistics are overwhelming for these families.
Lucky people like me are still inconvenienced by closed lanes on Great Neck Road and a slew of tree trucks and construction trucks clogging up neighborhood streets. Again, I have no grounds to complain when so many families lost their homes.
Most of you reading this were not affected by the tornado because it’s in just one area of Virginia Beach. It’s not like a hurricane. It’s just one small targeted area, which happens to be my whole world.
Lizzy Goldstein, a Cox high school senior, lives in Broad Bay Point Greens. Her neighborhood was hit the hardest. Her family dodged the tornado bullet, but her neighbor’s roof was blown off.
“It was incredible to watch how all of the neighbors mobilized to care for and help one another,” said Lizzy.
Weekend Scoop
On the evening of the tornado, Lizzy decided to collect neighbors’ stories. She was curious about where they were when the tornado touched down. Here are some stories of the close calls:
A grandmother took her granddaughter to the movie theater even though the granddaughter wanted to stay and watch a movie in the living room. The living room, where they would have watched the movie, was demolished.
A granddaughter took her grandparents out to dinner. Their entire house was destroyed when they returned home.
One teen had just stepped out of the shower after hearing the alert go off on her phone. She was on the second floor. Her dad saw signs of the tornado and told the daughter to come to the first floor to take shelter. She had just enough time to escape the tornado ripping through her house and destroying her bedroom and ripping the roof off. They heard the infamous freight train sound seconds before the terrifying event.
A man went out to dinner when he’d otherwise have been in his bed. When he returned home, there was a five-foot piece of glass on his bed.
I used to think tornadoes only happened in faraway places. Tornadoes were never on my radar like other natural disasters. They happen in movies, distant towns and now in Virginia Beach. If this can happen in my little bubble, it can happen in your neighborhood. I’ve learned to take my weather alerts more seriously and to be extremely grateful to have a house in one piece.
Lee Belote, jlbelote@verizon.net