Hearing the news of the devastating tornado that struck Moore, Oklahoma yesterday, I couldn't help but be reminded of my days of living in tornado alley. I was born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri and every spring and summer we dealt with the fear of tornadoes. I lived there for 26 years before I moved and there was only one time when I had to face the green, sickly skies up close and personal.
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| Davidson Elementary School |
I was attending school at Davidson Elementary in Kansas City North. I think I must have been in fourth grade. I vividly remember that tornado sirens were going off and our teachers escorted us to the downstairs hallway, that had no windows. As we passed the front door of the school I saw that tell-tale green sky. As we sat crowded together in the basement, I remember my friend Laura crying uncontrollably because she was worried about her mother. I remember feeling the need to be calm and talking with her to try to help her understand that her mother would know what to do to be safe.
Luckily, a tornado didn't touch down. If there was one, it was brief and completely missed the school. It wasn't until a year or so after I moved away that a tornado touched down a block from my childhood home.
My heart is sick today thinking of the poor folks in Moore. I know that life is not about things, but as a genealogist I can't help but also mourn the memories that have been lost. I wish the people of Moore the strength to get through this horrible day and the weeks to come.
