OK, we've been given the "all clear" and things are getting back to normal here. We've grown up and lived in "tornado alley" most of our lives, but one can never be too careful.

I was living in Grand Island, Nebraska in 1980 when the tornadoes hit, and was home alone at the time, in the basement in a closet under the stairs. My home wasn't hit, but I could hear the roar of the tornadoes and they hit about a quarter mile away from the house I was in. It is something I'll never forget. I have a very healthy respect for tornadoes!

We could tell by the weather radar and by the appearance of the clouds when the sirens first sounded that the storm was off the northwest more. We took Sandi and Orea, Angel, Shadow and Annie all down into our tornado shelter room in the basement, and then monitored the situation with our weather radios. We also kept the TV on and watched the reports there, and were watching the clouds from right outside our house for awhile.

They were far enough away that we knew we weren't in any real immediate danger, and we were prepared to go down in our basement as soon as the wind started coming up. I went down then, and my husband and son stayed upstairs to monitor the situation a little more. They never did come down, except to help bring the pets down when the sirens initially sounded. They have never been as close to one as I have.....