It’s a typical Friday at work and my boss informs me that there are going to be tornadoes coming through Middle TN including Nashville today, ok sweet. He then tells me that the storms are going to be the worse storms that Nashville has seen since the floods. Awesome. Well now he has my attention, I would like to reiterate the fact that I don't do storms, deathly afraid of storms, therefore, tornadoes go to the top of my freak out list. I kind of put it in the back of my head, my office doesn't have any windows, so I am just gonna go about my work and act like I didn't hear a word he said. Then he comes up to me after lunch (all it is is windy at this point, very windy) and says that we are closing early so everyone can get in a safe place before the storms hit about 4ish.
Now I am getting a bit nervous, so I start watching the news on my computer, schools are closing, businesses are shutting down, and I am being shipped off to my apartment that is on the top floor and is not tornado friendly. Now that I realize the city is basically shutting down, my boss tells me I shouldn't go to my apartment, I couldn’t agree more. He offers up his basement, I told him I was going to go to Kelly’s that she has a basement. I text Kelly and she is in Knoxville but I have a key and her new roommate will be there, so that is my plan. We are leaving at 3pm, the wind is really cookin and everyone is filing out of the of building to their perspective basements (when at 6’7" guy tells me he is worried, it doesn't help).
I get in the car and get on the phone with Brandy, her and I make a split decision; we figured I have a small window to escape Nashville and make a beeline for Manchester instead. I decide that I would rather not be in the line of fire and go for it. I literally jump on the highway, do not stop for clothes, don’t even stop for gas, I am just getting the hell out of the city as fast as possible.
Then Kelly calls me and tells me that there are tornadoes touching down north of Chattanooga (Brandy lives one hour north of Chattanooga) so I start freking out. She says I may want to think about turning around and just go to her basement. At this point, I am full force ahead to Manchester, I waver for a few minutes, but decide to keep on truckin. Kelly said ok, if you are going to stay on the highway at least get in the right lane and if you see a tornado, get into a ditch. Ah crap, ok ,will do Kelly thanks! So I hang up the phone and start going like 100mph, but it’s a bit difficult with the wind wanting to take the Camry in its own direction.
The news on the radio is not helping my blood pressure; they keep saying things like "Heed our warning!" "This is not joke" and then the alarms would go off! I slow down and now I am trying to think logically, so I can come up with a plan, should I see a tornado. Ok get in a ditch she says, I have to literally tell myself, Stephanie, if you see a twister, get out of your car and then get into a ditch, cause if I do see a tornado and I didn’t have this talk with myself, I most likely would just drive the Camry straight into a ditch and I am pretty sure that is not what Kelly meant. Now that I have a backup plan, I now realize that I am running out of gas and well that is not going to do me any good either. Keep in mind that the two logical people in my half circle of friends are not telling me it’s going to be ok; I got one telling me do not pass GO, do not collect $200, just drive right now! And the other one is telling me get in a ditch, so I know it’s not just me being a freaker, this is really happening.
I pull into the gas station on 2 wheels and my heart is beating out of chest, I swing the door open, jump out of the car and yell at the guy at the next pump over..."HOW MUCH TIME TO WE HAVE??!!!" “For what?” he asks. "WHERE IS THE STORM???!"" I yell. “Um it’s all around us.” he states. "Ok I have like 45 more minutes until I get where I am going, will I make it?” He said you should be ok, you have about an hour until they crank back up. "Ok thanks!" I sling the gas gun out of my gas tank with my finger still on the trigger and gas is spewing out everywhere! The guy instructs me to take a deep breath before I get back in my car. Ok I will, thanks, gotta go.
I continue driving with my eyes bulging out of my head at top speed and finally get to Manchester. Ok, whew, I made it. Brandy and I get settled in for who knows what is coming. 15 minutes of a thunder storm and that was it. Nashville was a bust, nothing happened from what I heard, the surrounding counties got hit, but my apartment was fine and I would of been too. It rained for all of 5 minutes!!! Geez! I guess that is the definition of anti-climactic....oh well better safe than sorry. Nothing like a good freak out to keep the day interesting and the blood pumping. Geez Louise
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