Consecutive work bicycle commute number 799: Tornado Edition
First off, everyone here in Sioux Falls is OK. Thankfully no casualties have been reported. Just a lot of property damage.
The storm hit right as I was going to bed last night. Our cable went out right away so we lost the weather reports and the internet. I decided I wasn't going to get any sleep until the storm blew over, so I sat in my living room watching the carnage lit up via lightning.
The wind was fierce. At one point I thought the tree in my front yard was going to blow over, but somehow it stood strong. A huge limb from someone's tree landed in my driveway, and no sooner did I think, "I'm going to have to deal with that in the morning before work," when suddenly it took off and disappeared. I guess someone else is having to deal with it instead.
The tornado sirens never sounded, so I didn't learn that at least two tornadoes touched down until I woke up this morning. The sirens were supposed to sound, but didn't. The mayor did the right thing and immediately took full responsibility for this rather than making excuses.
After the sun came up I could better assess the damage. All thirteen of my trees remained standing, and I really didn't lose as many branches as I thought I would have. My brother's huge tree next door didn't fare so well; it was snapped off at the trunk. Several houses less than a mile from mine have been completely destroyed.
Schools are running two hours late due to roads blocked with trees and power lines. The police issued a "no travel" advisory for the city. As usual I rode my bicycle to work, which gave me the opportunity to stop and take some pictures. A construction worker running a crane to remove downed trees from their area told me I was "hard core" for riding. I think I actually had an easier time than people in cars as I could easily walk/carry my bike around obstacles and flooded areas.
Our office was about 1/4 mile from the path of one of them, but thankfully only lost part of the HVAC system off the roof. Two large hospital buildings near us have significant damage.
