This post is written for Friday Fictioneers.
It was late afternoon Monday June 8, 1953. As we drive to my grandmother’s I remember seeing a refrigerator in a tree. For an seven year old that didn’t make sense. Her street of old two story homes was now what looked like a messy lumber yard.
There were a few people, some walking, some sitting on the ground, with a daze look in their eyes, rummaging among their damaged possessions looking like the walking dead. The amazing thing was that there was total silence. There was no wind. It was a time when the world stood STILL.
Oh Danny Boy! 
Danny didn’t realize you grew up in MI. Surprising I never heard of this devastating event that looks like it wrought havoc across quite an expanse of the region. I can NOT imagine having lived through such a storm, down in the basement listening to what must have been so loud and terrifying. Then, afterwards walk outside and see the wreckage 😦
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The idea of total silence truly says it all. Well done.
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What a horrible thing to live through. It must absolutely stay with you forever. I can easily picture the utter silence right after.
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A memory that will not go away.
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No, I bet.
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Quite a sense of shock among the locals.
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Some childhood events are never forgotten.
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They spring up now and then.
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Great description of the aftermath. Well done.
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A cant imagine how it feels to live through such an event. Well-described story!
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And those images stay forever somewhere in the recesses of your brain.
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I bet they do, ready to pop up everytime you start feeling happy just to drag you down again.
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A a camping trip, we quickly dismantled our tents and sheltered in an old school building as the storm raged. I wondered if we had made the right choice as the building was too close to the sea for my liking. should have gone up into the hills–– time ran out.
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And my grandfather always told us to huddle in the southwest corner in the basement. Not sure if that was a good idea either.
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A heartbreaking scene, very well described.
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You’ve captured that silence and stillness that seems to permeate the news stories and film footage about tornadoes. Quite the scene for a 7 year old to take in and try to process.
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A scene you never forget.
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The terrifying quiet aftermath of a tornado. I’ve seen a few of these tragic scenes, and you portrayed it well, Danny.
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My story was from personal experience. Still have memories of the destruction.
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I’m so sorry to hear that, Danny.
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We get so many reports of tornadoes but always to the areas around us. I hope to never have to go through one. And, saying that, I probably jinxed myself. One month of hurricane season down, five to go…..
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Yup! Just the beginning for us Florida folks. From experience====doppler radar can be very very accurate.
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