Friday, September 19, 2008

Flashback Friday

It didn't take long for the weatherazzi and the news media to start comparing the big windstorm to the April 3 tornadoes that we experienced back in 1974.  They said that the wide-spread damage was three times as worse as when the April 3rd tornadoes moved through Louisville.  From what I remember, I sure believe them.  My most vivid memory of the April 3rd tornadoes was not the afternoon when the tornadoes ripped through Louisville; it was the day after. 

Schools here in Jefferson county were only closed for one day, whereas they've been closed all this week.  The morning after the tornadoes, Dad had gone out with some friends and was working in Cherokee Park cutting down trees and helping clear the roads, and Mom and Grandpa and I went up to the drugstore and to the Gateway Grocery.  The reason the day after stands out in my memory was the weather.  In my 45 years I have never seen a sky as blue and clear as it was that day.  The air was a little cool and it was the prettiest day that I believe I have ever seen.  The weather on this Monday was similar - it was clear, sunny and a bit cool, but it wasn't like April 4, 1974.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I remember the day OF the tornado quite well.  Dad hadn't gotten home from work yet and reports were saying the tornado had hit near the airport which is where Dad worked.  My niece, my dog and I were in corner of the basement with a blanket over our head but Mom kept running up and down the stairs because she was watching for Dad.  We had a radio going and the man who was speaking kept saying this is an ALERT!  This is not a warning, this is an ALERT!

Luckilly Dad made it home and we had no damage at our house, but it was one of the scariest memories of my life!