Green Skies Over Oklahoma
When I lived in Oklahoma (97-2000), I quickly learned what a green sky meant - the conditions were right for a tornado to form. Tornado warnings are a way of life in April, May, & June in Oklahoma, so you have to learn how to make the distinction between a threat and a serious situation.
On May 3rd, 1999, the most powerful tornado ever recorded (an F5) struck Oklahoma, and in fact essentially formed over my house. It dropped softball-sized hail in my front yard, making my front yard look like it got hit by pieces of an asteroid. Cars were ruined, roofs were punctured. But we escaped the worst of the tornado.
By the time it cleared my town it stopped being a crazy storm and eventually became a tornado, creeping towards the OKC suburbs, causing the most damage in Moore, OK. This monstrous tornado reached up to a mile wide, causing unfathomable damage along the way.
As of 6pm tonight, the news is reporting that a 2 mile wide tornado has struck essentially the same area. Living in Tornado Alley for 3 years, learning how to listen for the roar of a real tornado and pay attention to sudden temperature changes….nothing prepares you for the real thing. And absolutely nothing can prepare you for a tornado that’s so big it could swallow up an entire downtown without even flinching.
My heart goes out to those affected by the devastation, and good luck Moore, OK. You’ve rebuilt once before, and I know you can do it again.
