Tornado’s Echo
"Look, the huge raindrops are exploding!" My engineer husband always sees the unusual. We looked out Shoney's window. "Sheets of rain burst and swirled. We'd better get out of here!" Although it was almost midnight the lightening made it a psychedelic show of blinding, blinking lights.
Tony and I had gone to the Twin-Cinema in the Caraway Plaza to the 10:00 p.m. movie with friends. Raining, we'd jumped into their Chevy wagon to ride the 100 yards to the coffee shop. "When we see all children are okay, come by our house before we leave on vacation." We invited. They jettisoned us to our car.
We turned west on highway 63B, they north on Nettleton Ave. We'd traveled two or three car lengths - huge tree limbs and debris bombarded our car like bricks thrown at us. The rain was so thick and furious - it was a tornado! The windshield wipers couldn't keep the windshield clean. The car careened crazily. Tony yelled, "Oh NO! it's here. We're right in the middle of it!" His voice broke, "We're not going to make it!" He started to cry, "Why didn't we leave earlier to get home to the kids!" I felt I was watching a movie. Did I hear, "I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee" and "...It won't come nigh thy dwelling". (Like an echo in my mind.)
Our 13-year-old Emily was sitting with nine-year-old Anthony and our 17-year-old, Deana, was on a date.
I was silent, but thought, are we going to die? Will I dread hurting until I die? Oh My Anthony, Emily and Deana. (The echo--"not nigh thy dwelling!")
Tony regained peaceful composure--urged, "Get out of the car and into the ditch." We were beside a trailer park and one of the campers hit our car from behind and another eased up to the front of it. We jumped from the car, stepping out into the air then the car was airborne. Yet, we hit the ground and got into the ditch by the Jonesboro Country Club. We watched campers, a carport, an assortment of debris wash and swirl over us. We stuck our fingers as far down into the mud trying to suck our bodies to the ditch only holding our head up out of the torrential water. Would a car or a camper crush on top of us? The rain and water was icy cold. Although after midnight, lightening made it lighter than day and then it'd be soot black dark. OH! Where were our children? (The echo-'Perfect peace')
Eventually the 'freight-train' roaring diminished and the tornado receded; the car had plopped down near us. Tony demanded, "Get into the car. We'll try it again." Muddy and drenched, and from our coffee drinking at Shoney’s, and like in kindergarten at the blackboard, my kidneys would no longer hold out. The warm liquid mixed with the icy rain in an unreal world of TV. We climbed out of the ditch and into the battered car.
Someone yanked open the back car door pleading, "Somebody please help me, my car is demolished."
"Get in and go with us...What's your name?"
"Danny Jones." "We're the Libharts".
Tony eased the car against the camper in front of us, pushing it out of the way. He was easing back and pushing the car up from the carport that had us pinned in the back. We broke loose only to realize that an electrical high line wire was across our car, flipped down hooked on our bumper. Miraculously, by inching the car slowly back and forth, it unhooked and we moved on across the highway. We'd traveled about a half a block when the debris started again...hitting our car. Swirling rain came back and the nightmare of a second tornado hit. Tony yelled, "Get into the ditch again." This time the tornado was even more furious. I was shaking more but somehow inside I felt calmer.
"Lord, those children belong to you, I leave them in your safe keeping". Their three sweet faces came before me. Oh God, I want to trust you and believe you'll take care of them and us. Help my unbelief". (I heard the echo--'perfect peace')
The water covered our bodies as we kept our heads sideways to keep our noses free to breathe. The angry lighting flashed across the pitch black night as the deafening roar of the tornado swept camper trailers, a car bumper and limbs of trees-again! My husband had his arms clinched around my hips with his bead on the back of my knees. The stranger who'd climbed into our car, Danny Jones, lay with his feet away from me. HE dug his head into my shoulder while our hands dug into the miry mud for roots to cling to and suck our bodies to the earth. We shook as one--from the cold rain and the tornado's vibration.
The tornado quieted down to a heavy rain. We got out of the ditch but this time our car was totally demolished. We left the parking lights on for someone to use the car in some way. We three crawled and ran through the nightmarish night, stumbling over fallen trees and broken power lines. There was not a light in the city.
Then a Corvette came from the other direction. Tony cautioned, "You can't go any further". He turned around and got us into the Corvette. (Now maybe we'd see the kids soon). We drove a few blocks then came to an unmovable four-foot tree trunk. We got out and stumbled on for a couple blocks, when a station wagon, easing through the torrential rains, picked us up and attempted the additional few miles home. The water was over the headlights of the station wagon making an eerie vision in the pre-dawn light. Next a portion of highway blocked by trees stopped us. We got out. Danny went into the night and we slow-jogged on down Wood Street toward our home. People in mansions in the Country Club area were inviting everyone to come in out of the storm. By then it was about 2:45 A.M. The National Guard was showing up. We passed our daughters Jonesboro High School. It was totally destroyed. Those beautiful columns that meant so much history in our city. Where would they hold graduation? We kept running. Our Frierson Street Church was reduced to a slab. The trauma of wondering what our house condition would be! (The echo--not nigh thy dwelling) If only Deana, Emily and Anthony were safe. As I stumbled along in my white three-inch sandals - afraid to take them off because of the shattered glass and debris. Such intense pain! --I still needed to use the bathroom after the rented coffee in the restaurant hours earlier. It was as if my mind and body didn't exist as one.
Many houses on the next street were destroyed, except one--where all the rooms were missing but one. How strange!
Linden St. was down over the hill.” God, let our kids be safe" But seeing all the destruction around, how could they be! The National Guard let us through -- I'd gotten my second wind -- In the early morning light we could see our unhurt house. (Not nigh thy dwelling). Had our daughter gotten in from her date? Were the children scared and crying? Had they tried to go somewhere? -- We ran-opened the door--yelled, 'EMILY, ANTHONY, DEANA, silence, Oh NO! We dashed upstairs to the bedroom area.
Three sleepy heads appeared--startled "What's the matter, Mother? Daddy?" We grabbed them and hugged and cried. Thank you Father our children-"in perfect peace--through both tornadoes!" They chorused, "We slept better than we have in years". (2,000 home, 200 business, schools, churches, 123 people injured-NO DEATHS!) It was a night of miracles. About the house on the next street? A missionary couple married today and left her wedding dress and all wedding gifts at her Mother's; they left for their honeymoon -- the house was blown away -- except for the room that had her wedding dress and all their wedding presents. God’s hand!
5:00 A.M., A knock--We opened to greet the beautiful faces of Bonnie and Glenn, "You said when this blew over and our kids were okay to come for coffee. Here we are!"
Through the years as other of life's Tornadoes swirl around us, I hear the echo in my mind of that first tornado, " He will keep us in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee!"
"Look, the huge raindrops are exploding!" My engineer husband always sees the unusual. We looked out Shoney's window. "Sheets of rain burst and swirled. We'd better get out of here!" Although it was almost midnight the lightening made it a psychedelic show of blinding, blinking lights.
Tony and I had gone to the Twin-Cinema in the Caraway Plaza to the 10:00 p.m. movie with friends. Raining, we'd jumped into their Chevy wagon to ride the 100 yards to the coffee shop. "When we see all children are okay, come by our house before we leave on vacation." We invited. They jettisoned us to our car.
We turned west on highway 63B, they north on Nettleton Ave. We'd traveled two or three car lengths - huge tree limbs and debris bombarded our car like bricks thrown at us. The rain was so thick and furious - it was a tornado! The windshield wipers couldn't keep the windshield clean. The car careened crazily. Tony yelled, "Oh NO! it's here. We're right in the middle of it!" His voice broke, "We're not going to make it!" He started to cry, "Why didn't we leave earlier to get home to the kids!" I felt I was watching a movie. Did I hear, "I will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee" and "...It won't come nigh thy dwelling". (Like an echo in my mind.)
Our 13-year-old Emily was sitting with nine-year-old Anthony and our 17-year-old, Deana, was on a date.
I was silent, but thought, are we going to die? Will I dread hurting until I die? Oh My Anthony, Emily and Deana. (The echo--"not nigh thy dwelling!")
Tony regained peaceful composure--urged, "Get out of the car and into the ditch." We were beside a trailer park and one of the campers hit our car from behind and another eased up to the front of it. We jumped from the car, stepping out into the air then the car was airborne. Yet, we hit the ground and got into the ditch by the Jonesboro Country Club. We watched campers, a carport, an assortment of debris wash and swirl over us. We stuck our fingers as far down into the mud trying to suck our bodies to the ditch only holding our head up out of the torrential water. Would a car or a camper crush on top of us? The rain and water was icy cold. Although after midnight, lightening made it lighter than day and then it'd be soot black dark. OH! Where were our children? (The echo-'Perfect peace')
Eventually the 'freight-train' roaring diminished and the tornado receded; the car had plopped down near us. Tony demanded, "Get into the car. We'll try it again." Muddy and drenched, and from our coffee drinking at Shoney’s, and like in kindergarten at the blackboard, my kidneys would no longer hold out. The warm liquid mixed with the icy rain in an unreal world of TV. We climbed out of the ditch and into the battered car.
Someone yanked open the back car door pleading, "Somebody please help me, my car is demolished."
"Get in and go with us...What's your name?"
"Danny Jones." "We're the Libharts".
Tony eased the car against the camper in front of us, pushing it out of the way. He was easing back and pushing the car up from the carport that had us pinned in the back. We broke loose only to realize that an electrical high line wire was across our car, flipped down hooked on our bumper. Miraculously, by inching the car slowly back and forth, it unhooked and we moved on across the highway. We'd traveled about a half a block when the debris started again...hitting our car. Swirling rain came back and the nightmare of a second tornado hit. Tony yelled, "Get into the ditch again." This time the tornado was even more furious. I was shaking more but somehow inside I felt calmer.
"Lord, those children belong to you, I leave them in your safe keeping". Their three sweet faces came before me. Oh God, I want to trust you and believe you'll take care of them and us. Help my unbelief". (I heard the echo--'perfect peace')
The water covered our bodies as we kept our heads sideways to keep our noses free to breathe. The angry lighting flashed across the pitch black night as the deafening roar of the tornado swept camper trailers, a car bumper and limbs of trees-again! My husband had his arms clinched around my hips with his bead on the back of my knees. The stranger who'd climbed into our car, Danny Jones, lay with his feet away from me. HE dug his head into my shoulder while our hands dug into the miry mud for roots to cling to and suck our bodies to the earth. We shook as one--from the cold rain and the tornado's vibration.
The tornado quieted down to a heavy rain. We got out of the ditch but this time our car was totally demolished. We left the parking lights on for someone to use the car in some way. We three crawled and ran through the nightmarish night, stumbling over fallen trees and broken power lines. There was not a light in the city.
Then a Corvette came from the other direction. Tony cautioned, "You can't go any further". He turned around and got us into the Corvette. (Now maybe we'd see the kids soon). We drove a few blocks then came to an unmovable four-foot tree trunk. We got out and stumbled on for a couple blocks, when a station wagon, easing through the torrential rains, picked us up and attempted the additional few miles home. The water was over the headlights of the station wagon making an eerie vision in the pre-dawn light. Next a portion of highway blocked by trees stopped us. We got out. Danny went into the night and we slow-jogged on down Wood Street toward our home. People in mansions in the Country Club area were inviting everyone to come in out of the storm. By then it was about 2:45 A.M. The National Guard was showing up. We passed our daughters Jonesboro High School. It was totally destroyed. Those beautiful columns that meant so much history in our city. Where would they hold graduation? We kept running. Our Frierson Street Church was reduced to a slab. The trauma of wondering what our house condition would be! (The echo--not nigh thy dwelling) If only Deana, Emily and Anthony were safe. As I stumbled along in my white three-inch sandals - afraid to take them off because of the shattered glass and debris. Such intense pain! --I still needed to use the bathroom after the rented coffee in the restaurant hours earlier. It was as if my mind and body didn't exist as one.
Many houses on the next street were destroyed, except one--where all the rooms were missing but one. How strange!
Linden St. was down over the hill.” God, let our kids be safe" But seeing all the destruction around, how could they be! The National Guard let us through -- I'd gotten my second wind -- In the early morning light we could see our unhurt house. (Not nigh thy dwelling). Had our daughter gotten in from her date? Were the children scared and crying? Had they tried to go somewhere? -- We ran-opened the door--yelled, 'EMILY, ANTHONY, DEANA, silence, Oh NO! We dashed upstairs to the bedroom area.
Three sleepy heads appeared--startled "What's the matter, Mother? Daddy?" We grabbed them and hugged and cried. Thank you Father our children-"in perfect peace--through both tornadoes!" They chorused, "We slept better than we have in years". (2,000 home, 200 business, schools, churches, 123 people injured-NO DEATHS!) It was a night of miracles. About the house on the next street? A missionary couple married today and left her wedding dress and all wedding gifts at her Mother's; they left for their honeymoon -- the house was blown away -- except for the room that had her wedding dress and all their wedding presents. God’s hand!
5:00 A.M., A knock--We opened to greet the beautiful faces of Bonnie and Glenn, "You said when this blew over and our kids were okay to come for coffee. Here we are!"
Through the years as other of life's Tornadoes swirl around us, I hear the echo in my mind of that first tornado, " He will keep us in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee!"
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