Ugh, I am finally home. I never, ever want to deal with a tornado thing at school. K-12, all packed in a basement for 1 1/2 hours, all teachers thinking about Joplin, getting conflicting half-assed reports about how bad it is.

Kids freaking out -- little kids. I was fine during, but then afterwards it was this huge adrenalin dump release thing. So tired now.

Everything's pretty ok here, but it was pretty scary where I was. You look around at all these little kids and think "Fuck, I am responsible."

I am so tired.

Erin, so glad you and your kids are all safe. What a scary day this has been - tornadoes are frightening enough, but now Joplin is in everyone's minds, and the possibilities are all too easy to imagine. Handling being responsible for a roomful of scared kids is pretty major, too - no wonder you're tired! Take care of yourself.

Erin, I'm glad you got through it okay.

It was just rainy and overcast here today. Dark and gloomy just reminding us what was going on off to the east.

TAL just recently re-ran the Prom theme one that had the story about the prom interrupted by tornado in Hoisington.

Erin, that IS scary. I am so glad buffistas and families are safe!

New post because I did not want it in the same one as tornados.

I have been watching Treme. I just realized Steve Zahn was in Reality Bites. What is weird is that I m picturing him in Twister. Which he was not in! and titanic, which he was not in! Who am I getting him mxed up with!

Oh, Erin. I had no idea you were dealing with K-12. Ugh.

I'm hoping my Champaign/Urbana friends will appear on FB at some point since a tornado was reported there a little while ago.

Shouldn't be too much longer before the system reaches the Chicago suburbs and Indiana. Looks like Indiana will bear the brunt.

Erin - glad you're home safe.

I'm watching Income Property: I always want them to choose the bigger option.

Oh I do too, sumi. Did you see the one where the homeowners asked John to autograph the bodice-ripper whose cover he'd modeled for in college? Hysterical.

I'm glad our midwest peeps are checking in okay. Erin, that had to be wracking for you, but I'm so glad everyone emerged okay.

Sparky, vibing hard the exposure finds Sass for you guys and gets her home. (Also? Pretty lady on teevee!)

Warning sirens were heard at 11:15 in downtown KCMO. We all gathered in the stairwells and the lower service equipment levels, had to wait about an hour and a half for the warning to be lifted. I was amused to see how many brought laptops and tablets with them, how many of the rest had their phones out, and how many thought to bring snacks and water bottles.

As best I can reconstruct from the news reports, the only local action was a very brief EF-0 touchdown in Miami County KS near Louisburg, and two very brief EF-0 touchdowns in Johnson County KS on the east side of Lenexa/west side of Overland Park. Sedalia (about 80 miles east-southeast) was hit much harder.

Now I'm wondering about the B-2s at Whiteman AFB, about 15 miles west of Sedalia. Did they keep them there and trust in the strength of the hangars, or move them elsewhere earlier, or launch them as the weather approached to wait it out?

eta: Looks like there were two other EF-0s. One north near Kearney MO, and one south near Harrisonville MO.