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Editorial

One tornado experience guaranteed to last a lifetime

Posted

I am a resident of Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia, but own a home in Bucks County, in Lumberville, on River Road. The area is known for its tranquil surroundings, abundant charm and easy lifestyle.
It is a perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city ... or so I believed, until a tornado arrived.
I had been away a large part of the summer and I made a special trip to Bucks County on Thursday, July 29, to check on the house and pick up some things I needed for an upcoming trip. I dropped my dog, Carmen, off with my friend Donna, and planned to pick her up on my way back home. Donna likes to walk with Carmen along the towpath, and she planned to take a long, leisurely walk that afternoon.
What a beautiful day it was for a walk, I thought.
After finishing my tasks, I called Donna to say I would pick Carmen up and head back home. Donna mentioned the possibility of some rain and thunderstorms later but I was getting an early start and didn’t think that would be a problem.
As I drove to Donna’s, the sky was getting dark and some intermittent rain began to fall but nothing looked serious. I got Carmen, and we were off, heading back to Chestnut Hill. It had started to get dark out and some light rain was falling steadily when I left Donna’s and within minutes I started getting emergency notices and beeps on my phone – beep beep beep – tornado warning – tornado warning in your area. Seek shelter immediately. Seek shelter?
I was on a country road, with trees and farms on each side – probably just another overblown weather prediction I thought.
Beep beep beep went the phone. Emergency emergency – Tornado warming in your area. Now, the sky was darkening and Carmen was panting heavily but she sometimes does that before a storm – animals can often feel the difference in barometric pressure long before we do and especially with storms.
As the sky continued to darken, my phone beeped with more emergency warnings and the kind of beeps that make you jump. Tornado warning, tornado warning, the screen proclaimed. Seek shelter, locate in a building without windows, away from trees and preferably below ground. A hard thing to do anywhere, let alone in Bucks County.
I thought I should turn around and go back to Lumberville. I was closer to Lumberville than Philadelphia.

I put the radio on and the world changed. Tornado warnings for Lambertville, Stockton, Trenton, River towns were going to be hit. Though I was much closer to Lumberville, I couldn’t go back – the tornado was right in that area along the river. I had to get home.
The radio kept announcing “Get off the road if you’re driving — pull over - put your seat belt on and lie on the front seat.” My heart was pounding, Carmen was panting, the sky was turning dark, the trees were gently shaking. I had that feeling of dread ... the calm before the storm. Driving home was driving into the unknown. Beep beep beep beep messages continued..
“Do not drive, do not try to outrun the tornado, seek shelter,” the message stated again and again. I had to get home. Cars were pulled over. I ran five red lights. I hoped they didn’t have cameras. I actually felt I might die and that in itself was such a strange feeling. I never, ever felt that before.
The positive thing was, I was driving away from the storm. The radio announcer repeated “Do not try to outrun the tornado,” I kept on running, or driving … I was running in the direction of my home.
As I got closer to Philadelphia the hard rains and gustier winds slowed and I knew it was now a heavy rain, not a tornado. And the farther I moved away from Bucks, the steadier the climate became. There were winds and rain, but nothing like a tornado. My dog was still panting heavily but even her panting seemed to have slowed down a bit. My heart was still at full speed.
I continued on, concentrating on making it home, I was terrified and listening to the news it seemed Jersey and the southern river towns were getting the bulk of the storm. I continued and I did make it home.
When I arrived, I sat in the car for in my parking area, just catching my breath, wiping sweat off my forehead and hugging Carmen. We were alive, we made it, we had a second chance at life.
Did the tornado hit Lumberville? I learned later there was flooding along River Road and one tree came down but as it turns out, Lumberville, as I was, was spared.

Debra Malinics is a writer and owner of Debra Malinics Advisors, a Philadelphia advertising agency.


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