Kathy, is that the one that interrupted prom?

No, the Plainfield one hit the day before school was supposed to start in August, 1990. The principal and teacher who were killed in the Catholic church school were there getting ready for the start of term.

billytea, excitement all around!

It really is! What with the World Cup and Wimbledon and the local politics, my expectations for the daily news have been well exceeded.

and electricity is canceled also. WHEW! Productive day.

I got mac's first appt with the Texas counselor scheduled also. I am so ready for the weekend I cannot even tell you.

This is what a tornado did to my high school in 1957. [link]

Ouch. I hope no one was in there when the twister hit.

My K-2 school (which had just opened a few months earlier) had its roof torn off by a tornado. I remember that storm, because my parents were out seeing Cabaret, and we had our cousin babysitting us when the sirens went off. We all hauled ass for the basement when the lights went out. About ten minutes later, her dad came over and stayed with us until the all-clear.

Wow, it's only 71 outside now. It's ten degrees warmer in my apartment - time to open the windows and turn on the fan....

eta: and opening the windows brings the strong odor of popcorn. Huh?

This is what a tornado did to my high school in 1957.

That must have been the Ruskin Heights tornado.

Yep.

The tornado carved a continuous, seventy-one mile path of destruction from where it touched down near Williamsburg, Kansas until it lifted near Knobtown, MIssouri. The tornado ranged in width from 175 yards (one-tenth of a mile) to 700 yards (slightly less than one-half of a mile) and was on the ground for one hour and thirty-eight minutes. The human toll was significant, 44 people lost their lives, 7 in Kansas and 37 in Missouri, and 531 people were injured. Damage from the tornado was estimated at $2.5 million dollars.

This page has the famous "RU IN" photo. [link]

Principal Blaine Steck was in Ruskin High School at the time, along with Mrs. Alta Guyll, the school nurse, and Mr. George Kildow, the school janitor. Mr. Steck dug his way out of the rubble looking for the others, but did not find them. Sadly they died buried near the front of the school entrance.

I went to school with Steck's daughters.

For anyone who missed last night's Colbert Report, Stephen talks about Rand Paul's certification.

The sky is this freaky bright yellow to the East now.