A Narrow Escape

"Wow!" I blurted out, as I glanced out the window and jumped out of my seat when lightning flashed in the sky, followed by the thunder that roared, and raindrops that pounded the rooftop along with hail.

I'm Christina, and I've never been in a severe storm such as a tornado, so when I saw the severe thunderstorm warning flashed across the television screen, and the newscaster came on with a weather bulletin about the possibility of a tornado heading toward the west side of River City (a fictitious city in Kansas).

My heart pounded and perspiration dripped down the sides of my face because I lived in the path of the storm. I became fearful and rushed around to take precautions, so the tornado wouldn't harm me. I didn't know what to expect in a tornado since I hadn't been near one, but they looked devastating on television.

I quickly ate my supper and cleaned up the kitchen. I shut off the television in the kitchen and rushed quickly to my bedroom and prepared to take cover in my closet because I thought that might be the safest place for me. However, I waited before I took cover.

I listened intently to the news on my television I had in my bedroom. The newscaster continued broadcasting the weather. He mentioned how storm spotters noticed a tornado a few miles west of town and watched it heading east at a rapid pace, so he cautioned everyone to take cover immediately in the lowest area of the house, or inside a closet.

Then it happened - the tornado siren blew, which was the loudest noise I ever heard, so I scrambled off the bed, grabbed my purse, and dashed inside the closet. I closed the door and covered up with my blankets that I kept in there for storms.

As I sat inside the closet, I could still hear the television report, so I waited patiently for the all clear to sound, but after a half hour, it still hadn't sounded. I continued to listen to the weather report and waited for the all clear, but instead of hearing the all clear, I heard an extremely loud sound and felt things from the outside striking my house. Then, I heard glass breaking and knew the tornado arrived and struck my house. "Oh God! Protect me from this tornado. I'm really frightened and want to escape such a devastating storm."

My body tensed up because I thought this was the end of my life, and I didn't want to die because I had too many goals in my life that I planned to accomplish. As I trembled outwardly, goosebumps appeared on my arms and legs. I couldn't believe that a tornado appeared in my direction. I became restless and nervous as I sat there covered up with my blankets and hoped that I'd still be alive when the all clear sounded, but that didn't happen, yet. I heard the side of the house crash into my bedroom, and as I listened for the sound of the television, I realized the electricity was off because I couldn't hear the television, and I couldn’t see any light.

I couldn't imagine what death was like, but it seemed like it was closing in on me because I trembled with fear and perspiration dripped down the sides of my face. "I don't want to die, yet. Please help me, God."

I felt fear overwhelm me because of the storm, and I believed I was going to find out what death was like soon. I wanted to escape my circumstances, but I didn't know how, so I decided to move closer to the wall in order to have more protection from the storm, but something happened - the wall moved. "Oh no! This was going to be the end of my life - or was it?"

I fell backward and wondered what happened to me. As I attempted to glance around in the darkness so I could see where I landed, I couldn't see anything. Total darkness surrounded me, and fear took total control of my life, but I hoped I wasn't where I thought because I knew I accepted Jesus as my Savior.

I became dizzy and faint just before I passed out, and that's all I remembered until I woke up and didn't hear anything. I opened the door and looked around. The tornado destroyed the walls to my bedroom, and everything was scattered on the floor. I realized that I had a narrow escape from the tornado. I thanked God that I hid in the closet during the tornado.

Janet Kay Blaylock