Even though I was 6, I remember the evening like it was yesterday. My parents and I had just moved from Indianapolis to Garden and lived at 708 E. Thompson Street (it was a new home my parents purchased from the builder) The home sat just down from Briar Hill and a few blks away from the Briar Hill Nursing Home (where a nice elderly man insisted on having his horse on the grounds, and would give us neighbor kids rides on it...sorry, a diverted 'side thought') - My mom, Gertrude Albert, was president of the Flint Hills Art Association and was at the downtown hotel hanging art with her friend Dorothy Reeves for an upcoming exhibit. My dad, John Albert - who was GM of Oliver Tractors at the time, was on the roof, trying to adjust the TV antenna. I kept running up the basement stairs with my little toy fox terrier, Spot, as I saw a 'tornado watch' on TV. I kept BEGGING my dad to come to the basement. Being stubbornly loving, he said, 'Don't you think I'd see a tornado coming from this vantage point?' - At first it was windy and then the sky became a yellow/green color and the wind died down altogether. My Dad finally came down to the basement and not minutes later, the tornado hit. We still had some moving boxes in the basement with blankets in them and my Dad put Spot & me in the SW? (whatever corner was suppose to be the safest, now a debunked ) and into a moving box. He then crouched over me for extra protection. My Mom had finished hanging her last piece of art. When she and Dorothy left the hotel, the doorman who'd lived in KS all his life said, 'Ladies, that sky is bad - we're looking to have SOME storm here. I suggest you get home as quickly as possible.' - My mom was driving (Mrs Reeves had cancer and wasn't up to the task) and took Dorothy home first. Just as she roared up the driveway and into Dorothy's garage, a huge tree fell behind the car on to the driveway. Both women getting out of the car, my mom asked, "Where's your basement?" - Dorothy said they didn't have a basement but they always thought they'd go into the hallway closet if there was a tornado. All the lights had gone out at this point. My mom and Dorothy opened the closet door and just as it was shutting, a huge suction of air literally pushed both into the closet and slammed the door. They were both sitting on boxes in the closet, and my mom asked what the boxes were. Dorothy said they were planning on having a party, and the boxes were full of bottles of scotch. My mom said she didn't envision her 'last moments' flying over Garden City on a box of scotch.(always with a good sense of humor) There were actually two rounds of tornadoes (at least that we experienced) and after the second round, Dr. Reeves came home. He had been at the fairgrounds where his daughter was practicing roping with her horse - however, he hadn't found her. He said he was going back to look for her and, since my mom's car was pinned in the garage, he'd take my mom home. When Dr. Reeves said, "Here's your neighborhood," my mom said she didn't recognize anything - there were electric lines and debris everywhere - and our home's roof had been torn off, a stock tank for watering cattle was in our living room. My mom made it across the front yard and knelt in the mud, leaning down to knock on the basement window at the window well. My dad 'answered her' and 'Thanks to God', as my mom would say, we were all reunited. Later to find out the huge 'suction of air' felt as the women were entering the closet at Dorothy Reeve's home had the effect of 'picking up the Reeve's roof, lifting and at the same time moving it about a foot, and setting it back down on their home. The first night I remember trying to sleep in our basement, with the noise of the stock tank rolling back and forth. Afterwards, it rained, non-stop, for about 3 days. Not good when there's no roof. Tornadoes are odd things - when examining the damage, we found not one wrinkle in the bedspreads - my Dad would lay his handkerchief and change on the top of the dresser when he came home - all in place. So much damage - and so little disturbed at the same time. Since there were no phones, the next morning we drove down to the local phone co. office and stood in line to call concerned relatives. We then went to the 'Breeze Inn Cafe' for breakfast. Our neighbors were the 'Mahs' who owned a restaurant at the Continental Hotel. We ended up staying there for a few nights until the insurance kicked in, and then we rented a home on Janice Lane that Norris Miller had for rent. His daughter, Linda, and I became fast friends - up to this day. A little of 'making lemonade out of lemons.' I still have a collage my mom made from various newpaper clippings - they are shown in this video - in front of our home, my mom leaning on a broom and my dad on the porch - I have this picture and several more of the 'event.'
Thanks for sharing what happened back then with that tornado. Always good to hear personal experiences. Dorothy the friend and tornado and happened in Kansas, that is something
I remember the feel of the air we lived south of garden mile east of tv tower . Dad took combine and truck out to wheat fields and cut some so we would have seed in case we got wiped out.then went into town . I just was in awe of huge trees just ripped up out ground laid over
I was 13 and was staying with my aunt and uncle at that time babysitting my cousins. My uncle came home and we had to get under the house which was scary enough. Luckily the only damage to their house was broken windows. They lived on Mary St. My grandpa worked at the cemetery.
It appeared that this monster formed right on top of them. Unfortunately, there is little to no chance of escaping this even with modern warning systems.
my mother (aka my grandmother. don't fucking ask since it's personal) my great-grandmother and possibly most of my family on her side were there when that happened.
Even though I was 6, I remember the evening like it was yesterday. My parents and I had just moved from Indianapolis to Garden and lived at 708 E. Thompson Street (it was a new home my parents purchased from the builder) The home sat just down from Briar Hill and a few blks away from the Briar Hill Nursing Home (where a nice elderly man insisted on having his horse on the grounds, and would give us neighbor kids rides on it...sorry, a diverted 'side thought') - My mom, Gertrude Albert, was president of the Flint Hills Art Association and was at the downtown hotel hanging art with her friend Dorothy Reeves for an upcoming exhibit. My dad, John Albert - who was GM of Oliver Tractors at the time, was on the roof, trying to adjust the TV antenna. I kept running up the basement stairs with my little toy fox terrier, Spot, as I saw a 'tornado watch' on TV. I kept BEGGING my dad to come to the basement. Being stubbornly loving, he said, 'Don't you think I'd see a tornado coming from this vantage point?' - At first it was windy and then the sky became a yellow/green color and the wind died down altogether. My Dad finally came down to the basement and not minutes later, the tornado hit. We still had some moving boxes in the basement with blankets in them and my Dad put Spot & me in the SW? (whatever corner was suppose to be the safest, now a debunked ) and into a moving box. He then crouched over me for extra protection.
My Mom had finished hanging her last piece of art. When she and Dorothy left the hotel, the doorman who'd lived in KS all his life said, 'Ladies, that sky is bad - we're looking to have SOME storm here. I suggest you get home as quickly as possible.' - My mom was driving (Mrs Reeves had cancer and wasn't up to the task) and took Dorothy home first. Just as she roared up the driveway and into Dorothy's garage, a huge tree fell behind the car on to the driveway. Both women getting out of the car, my mom asked, "Where's your basement?" - Dorothy said they didn't have a basement but they always thought they'd go into the hallway closet if there was a tornado. All the lights had gone out at this point. My mom and Dorothy opened the closet door and just as it was shutting, a huge suction of air literally pushed both into the closet and slammed the door. They were both sitting on boxes in the closet, and my mom asked what the boxes were. Dorothy said they were planning on having a party, and the boxes were full of bottles of scotch. My mom said she didn't envision her 'last moments' flying over Garden City on a box of scotch.(always with a good sense of humor)
There were actually two rounds of tornadoes (at least that we experienced) and after the second round, Dr. Reeves came home. He had been at the fairgrounds where his daughter was practicing roping with her horse - however, he hadn't found her. He said he was going back to look for her and, since my mom's car was pinned in the garage, he'd take my mom home. When Dr. Reeves said, "Here's your neighborhood," my mom said she didn't recognize anything - there were electric lines and debris everywhere - and our home's roof had been torn off, a stock tank for watering cattle was in our living room. My mom made it across the front yard and knelt in the mud, leaning down to knock on the basement window at the window well. My dad 'answered her' and 'Thanks to God', as my mom would say, we were all reunited.
Later to find out the huge 'suction of air' felt as the women were entering the closet at Dorothy Reeve's home had the effect of 'picking up the Reeve's roof, lifting and at the same time moving it about a foot, and setting it back down on their home. The first night I remember trying to sleep in our basement, with the noise of the stock tank rolling back and forth. Afterwards, it rained, non-stop, for about 3 days. Not good when there's no roof. Tornadoes are odd things - when examining the damage, we found not one wrinkle in the bedspreads - my Dad would lay his handkerchief and change on the top of the dresser when he came home - all in place. So much damage - and so little disturbed at the same time.
Since there were no phones, the next morning we drove down to the local phone co. office and stood in line to call concerned relatives. We then went to the 'Breeze Inn Cafe' for breakfast. Our neighbors were the 'Mahs' who owned a restaurant at the Continental Hotel. We ended up staying there for a few nights until the insurance kicked in, and then we rented a home on Janice Lane that Norris Miller had for rent. His daughter, Linda, and I became fast friends - up to this day. A little of 'making lemonade out of lemons.'
I still have a collage my mom made from various newpaper clippings - they are shown in this video - in front of our home, my mom leaning on a broom and my dad on the porch - I have this picture and several more of the 'event.'
Correction, my mom is on the steps and my dad in the living room....
Thanks for sharing what happened back then with that tornado. Always good to hear personal experiences. Dorothy the friend and tornado and happened in Kansas, that is something
Minute 4:00 in video
I remember the feel of the air we lived south of garden mile east of tv tower . Dad took combine and truck out to wheat fields and cut some so we would have seed in case we got wiped out.then went into town . I just was in awe of huge trees just ripped up out ground laid over
I was 13 and was staying with my aunt and uncle at that time babysitting my cousins.
My uncle came home and we had to get under the house which was scary enough. Luckily the only damage to their house was broken windows. They lived on Mary St. My grandpa worked at the cemetery.
I was 3 but remember how scared my mom was and driving around seeing the damage afterwards.
It appeared that this monster formed right on top of them.
Unfortunately, there is little to no chance of escaping this even with modern warning systems.
I was 2 when this happened.
my mother (aka my grandmother. don't fucking ask since it's personal) my great-grandmother and possibly most of my family on her side were there when that happened.