We had tornado like conditions last night. It hit us about 11:00 last night. I got out of bed to keep an eye on the storm incase it really started getting ruff. At one point I looked out side and couldn't see 2 feet from the window, it was rainning so hard I couldn't see anything. I couldn't tell if there was any hail in it or if the wind was even blowing or not.

I set down in the recliner to wait the storm out and see what kind of damage if any took place. Next thing I know I was sound asleep. Storms make me sleep even better. I finally woke up about 4 in the morning with my neck hurting and decided to get in a real bed. At about 6 o'clock this morning my wife woke me up and said my truck pen has blowed away and their are chickens running everywhere.

I got up and looked out the bedroom window and shore enough my truck pen was laying on its top about 80' away from where it was parked and their was my cornish hens running everywhere. I went out and turned my truck pen over and realized it isn't going to be portable anymore. I had to fix the door back on it right fast and started catching my little broilers and putting them back in it. I found all of them except for three. I looked everywhere, so I guess something may have already had a chicken breakfast.

Besides the portable truck pen, I've got tree tops laying everywhere. The t.v. antenna is laying on top of the house. The top of my well house as blowed off. A neighbor stopped by and told me that a tree had fallen on top of the fence at our family cemetary.

While in the process of expecting all the damage around the place I came upon a little yellow finch that was roosting on a blown over weed stock. He had his wings spread out and just setting there all drinched. Upon closer examination I realized he wasn't even alive! I don't know if he drownded in all the rain or got all wet and lost all of his body temperature, or if he just died of fright. First time I had ever seen anything like that.

I figured I might load all the kids up after while and take a drive to see what all else has happened.

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), September 08, 2001

Answers

Sounds like a real bad storm. Glad you and your family wasn't hurt. Sounds like the finch may have indeed drowned. Saw a Blue Jay that drowned once. In a really fast down pour they try to fly and get beat down then end up drowning. The park ranger often tells us about poor animals that get killed that way.

-- Kenneth in N.C. (wizardsplace13@hotmail.com), September 08, 2001.