What began as an ordinary day...

turned out to be not-so-ordinary.

Where you see standing water is the street I take to my daughters' school every weekday - and this is the aftermath!  I left the house around 7:15 this morning - it was sprinkling a little at the house and overcast, and there was a roll of thunder in the background.  I assumed it was last night's storm heading out of town.  A few miles down the road though, it became evident that this storm was still very much upon us.  As I approached the light before this underpass, I could barely see out of my windshield from the torrential rains, and I quickly turned when I realized the underpass had become a raging river from the runoff.  I drove through the flooded street to a nearby parking lot to wait it out.

Yeah, that was not going to happen.

I sent a text to my boss to let her know what was going on, and I proceeded to head home with the girls.  This was not as easy as I thought it would be.  The road to my home was overcome with water, so much that I couldn't pass.  I parked at a gas station, determined to make it home once the rain died down.  Next thing I know, I'm on the phone with my husband and all around me, where there was no water before, there was now at least 6-8 inch deep water.  In the distance, I could see a rush of water headed our way... so I quickly drove to another gas station at the top of the hill.  Crazy. 

The rain slowed, and the weather was appearing to clear up a little, so I once again tried to get back home.  My main route was completely flooded, so I decided to take the back way home.  I turned down a street covered with water, but the truck in front of me seemed to not have any problem, so I followed him.  All of a sudden, heavy walls of rain began beating on my car, I felt something pushing against the vehicle, but just kept going.  Then the hail started falling.

I was spooked.

Then, just as soon as the downpour began, it stopped... and I kept driving, amazed at the next sights I saw.  Debris everywhere, trees snapped like toothpicks, metal buildings mangled.

I would learn later that I was probably right on the outskirts of a tornado.

Spooked.

Eventually, the rains moved on and the wind was so still you could hear the helicopters flying above, chainsaws buzzing, and the sound of emergency vehicle sirens.  After almost five hours, I made it home safely.  We are so blessed and grateful that our home was not damaged.  We did, however, lose part of a fence and some of our favorite trees.

I can't complain though, as painful as it was to see.  I know there are others who are left without anything right now.

And their day began as an ordinary day too.