When I tell people that I am from Oklahoma, they immediately ask me three questions. First, do I live with Indians? No. I know Indians, but they aren't just running around like in the 1800s or something. Second, do we ride horses? No, we drive cars just like you. Third, have you ever seen a tornado? Yes, of course! I live right in the middle of tornado alley.
I can't tell you how many times my mom has thrown my sister and me into the pantry under the stairs because of tornado sirens. When you are from Oklahoma, you know the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning. When you were raised in tornado alley, you know exactly what the game plan is when those sirens go off. You know where to go, and you don't panic. Actually here in Oklahoma, we run outside and watch that green ominous storm roll in. We take pictures and text back and forth until it gets so close we have to take cover. If you are from here, you know the wall cloud, the green sky, and the lightning that fills the clouds. You know the funnel, the actual tornado. Not only do you know the signs, but you have seen and experienced the damage.
When the name of those small towns and street names become too familiar, things get scary. Just last week my small town had a tornado scare. My mom and I were within miles of the tornado. We were in the parking lot of Chick-fil-A waiting for food when the sirens went off and we realized we didn't have anywhere to go. We decided to try to beat it home, driving way over the speed limit to get home to where we could take shelter. People stood outside watching as the storm rolled in and that funnel came down wiping out houses and ripping off roofs.
We watch storms come in and make jokes about how we are "taking selfies with the tornado." Deep down, we all know the reality of these storms. We know people step out of their shelters to see if their entire life has been wiped away or if they were fortunate enough to keep their home.
While we are all prepared to take our tornado pictures, we are also ready for the clean up that follows. This is when a strong sense of community comes in. For example, Destiny Life Church in my hometown suffered damages from the tornado. Yet the day after the tornado, they were providing food and comfort to victims. They were out trying to help others and clean up the mess. Thousands of communities, churches, and groups come together to clean up the devastation that these nasty twisters leave behind.
Oklahoma is right in the middle of tornado alley. We have our shelters open, we have our cameras ready, but we also have our hearts prepared to help and serve the one's who came out of their shelters to their lives wiped away within a couple minutes. Living in tornado alley is scary, but it also shows how these small towns come together to pick up the pieces.
