I was working downtown in one of those big stone buildings in Austin, husband was in class as the University, and Stephen was in daycare in a clapboard, two story house. The day started out nice enough, but then came the tornado warning.
I had never experienced a tornado, but I'd seen pictures of the devastation, and let me tell you, I was scared!! All I wanted was to get my baby and my husband and hunker down somewhere safe. My boss, a very kind gentleman, kept trying to reassure me that everything would be ok, but I wasn't having any of it. In fact I was near hysteria.
As it happened, the tornado veered off and hit Waco instead. Those of you readers in Texas may not remember this as it was 1953, I think. Anyway, the tornado cut a very wide, hugely damaging swathe through Waco, and Austin got very heavy rainstorm. I called the daycare center and was assured that everyone was fine there, but I had no idea where to contact my husband.
As it turned out, we just got wet coming home. But the devastation in Waco was awful. After all these years, I still haven't forgotten my fear, and the pictures published in the newspapers of what had happened in Waco. I couldn't help being thankful that the tornado didn't come to Austin, all the while feeling horrified for the people of Waco.
Later, after we moved to Pasadena (suburb of Houston), there was a hurricane that tore through Galveston, and the Houston area got the edge of that storm. But that's a story for later.
We were back in California when the earthquake struck in the San Fernando Valley (Los Angeles area), and a freeway overpass collapsed, and several buildings were destroyed. We were living several miles to the southwest of the epicenter, near the beach, but we still felt some pretty strong shocks. And I was pretty ho-hum about the whole thing.
There was another temblor that taught my small daughter how to survive. She was walking from the kitchen to the living room, and was right in the doorway when the ground began shaking. I told her calmly to stay right where she was, don't move. And bless her baby heart, she listed to Mama for a change. As soon as the shaking stopped she practically leapt across the room into my arms. I wonder if she remembers that?
So, having experienced various types of calamities weather-wise, I think I prefer to stay in California.
A couple of my readers have commented on my absence in DD, and I apologize. There have been some unusual demands on my time lately. But I'm back now. I think. And I'll continue the story of my early married life.
Shalom