Thread: Crazy severe weather 7/19/18 in Central Iowa

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I've always had a thing for tornado's. When I was a kid I was at my Grandmother and grandfather's house. They lived on a very old farm that had a storm cellar behind the house. I was probably 4 or 5 or so. I was outside mowing the grass with one of those push type foot removers and I saw a tornado. I ran in and told Grandma that the Tazmanian Devil was coming! She grabbed me up and off to the cellar we went. I still have the image in my mind today...... We just got in and she just got the doors shut and she realized the cellar inner door was stuck. We sat on the steps and were more above ground than not. You could see the tornado passing through the wall. Ever since I've had the inclination to chase them when possible.

These tornadoes looked close so I headed toward town to get a better view. By the time I got out of town the tornado on the ground had lifted. The road was blocked by law enforcement so I went another way to where the tornado lifted. It made it to the ground 2 more times but eventually fizzled out over some farm ground. The area it stopped is just west of where Allyson's brothers live. It was less than a half mile from where her brother Dewayne and his wife just put up a million dollar wedding barn.

I sat at a T intersection watching the storm and also noticing insulation and tar paper falling from the sky. I knew then that it had gotten some homes/buildings. I decided it was time to head to work so I headed back towards my parent's town. As I was driving, I saw more debris floating in the air. This was 8 miles or so from where the tornado did the damage.