Our decision to move to the US midwest, to southern Minnesota two years ago, was primarily fueled by the lure of a great job in a country that was now home to our two daughters. With the number of tornado warnings that have sounded in our neighborhood in recent days, I'm trying to remember if "the threat of having our home blown off its foundation" ever entered into our Pros & Cons of Moving to Minnesota conversations.
For those who watch from a distance the News stories about extreme midwest weather as we once did, with Wizard of Oz romanticism, I'm here to tell you that curiosity turns to good old-fashioned wild-eyed fear when trees 3 feet in diameter are being ripped to shreds all around you.
I was most amazed by the speed and ferocity of this week's storms. Driving on Hwy 14 towards Nicollet MN, the approaching storm looked so far away. Once we agreed it was no longer prudent to continue driving west, we pulled to the side of the road, made a safe U-turn and began driving back towards Mankato in an attempt to outrun the wall of black that was overtaking us at a breathtaking rate.
Imagine a hundred of those automatic baseball hurlers on the roof of a 3 story building, firing golf balls down at the roof of your SUV - with you sitting inside. I'd never had the experience of driving a vehicle pelted by hail stones prior to this week. Thirty seconds earlier the storm looked miles away. Driving 60 mph in the opposite direction, the carpet bombing was still impossible to outrun.
I'm now the proud owner of a dimpled Pilot, and a purveyor of wisdom to storm-chaser wannabes ... when the sirens wail, stay home.
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