Daizey 0 #1 March 8, 2004 just got a very staticy voicemail from a friend in Raeford who said there was a tornado that went through either last night/this morning or the night before-not sure when the message was left. He said he was ok, but very scared! Hope everyone from down that way is safe sound, and ok today... *daizey* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #2 March 8, 2004 Tony and Kate Thacker's house nearly burned down. I forget what he said was the cause of ignition, but the flames blew all across his property and surrounded his house. He and another person fought the flames with water hoses. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaGimp 0 #3 March 8, 2004 yeah ...it was F**king crazy here last night.... We all have finally made the sunset load and are relaxing in the bar...drinking, playing pool, playing golf game....when all of a sudden the door slmas open, and we hear this huge sounds of wind. it takes a lot of strength just to close the door back, five minutes later the power in the bar is out......which sucked cause TonyT and I had just put $3 each into the golf game for 18 holes and was only on hole three But anyway from the bar with no power we see across the runway a fire burning...then I realize that it looks like its right behiend my house...so i drive home to chec kon my dog...he is ok, a little scared. Tornado or not I dont know....but we were getting gusts up to 60mph and consistant winds of around 40mph. that all happened around 9pm and was over by 11pm"Professor of Pimpology"~~~Bolas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daizey 0 #4 March 8, 2004 Hope Tony and Kate are alright...glad it didn't cause a substantial amount of damage to the house... Was there in fact a tornado or was it just high winds? If it was a tornado, did it come anywhere near the dz? *daizey* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaGimp 0 #5 March 8, 2004 cant say yes or no if it was a tornado....but very high winds and a lot of trees blown over. DZ is fine though. Dan...I left Tony at the bar or I would have gone and helped him too."Professor of Pimpology"~~~Bolas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daizey 0 #6 March 8, 2004 That's crazy! Glad everyone is ok..I've been through two tornadoa in my life...crazy stuff. I was young at the time and soo scared. I;ll never forget thining it was over, coming into my living room and seeing it tear up a house just down the street.... Glad nothing like that happened right there and you all are fine! Thanks for the info...I couldn't make out anything on that voicemail that dragontail left me...just heard the words tornado, I'm fine, and winds. *daizey* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pammi 0 #7 March 8, 2004 Winds were CRAZY up here by Raleigh too. Glad everything's okay down there in Raeford. Hope they didn't get much damage on their house! Pam Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lee03 0 #8 March 8, 2004 Wow, glad to hear that no wone was hurt, or worse. Tornados, and the straight line winds of hurricane velocity strength are no joke!-------- To put your life in danger from time to time ... breeds a saneness in dealing with day-to-day trivialities. --Nevil Shute, Slide Rule Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaGimp 0 #9 March 8, 2004 yeah it was deffiantely interesting....but I want my amn golf game back ....T. Thack owes me a rematch"Professor of Pimpology"~~~Bolas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Raefordite 0 #10 March 8, 2004 Tornado -not sure, but we had a wild time last night and it's not over yet. We lost about 15 acres of property burned. The acre around the house, shrubs, etc. are gone. The house has electrical, phone, propane tank, heat pump, siding damage. About 1/4 mile north of us a fire started. The "train" sound of a wild fire is true. Tony was at the DZ and called to get me while I was in the shower to check. They could see a fire in the distance and it looked like it might be near out house. I screamed for him to dial 911. The entire 4' x 4' bathroom window was an orange glow. We were burning. 5 more minutes and the dogs and I would not have made it anywhere. The time it took me to grab clothes, dogs, and pull the car out of the garage the fire was 100 ft from the house and moving in fast. The dirt easement (only way out) was starting to burn. The volunteer fire department went to the wrong house (mind you we several acres apart). Then their truck didn't pump water. They couldn't get their "new" truck here because the electric power was out and no one had a key. Once the word got out, we finally had several fire departments and the Forestry guys here with big bad fire trucks, lots of shovels and a really, really big trench digger that made a 2 foot deep, 10 foot wide path. The digger made about a 15 acre circle around our house, that is to contain the fire to the house area and not to travel to my other neighbors house. I can't wait to see that from the air. Long story short - we made it. Thank you to all the neighbors and friends that saved our house last night with shovels and garden hoses. Thank you for the fire and forestry that saved the rest of my property and neighbors. Thank you to my family who called and pulled together a nationwide prayer team. It worked. We're all ok. Here are a few photos I took early this morning outside. Oh, ya - get Allstate. They I called them at 8:15am this morning. My phone lines are repaired, heat pump to be fixed this afternoon, construction company already at the house, the indoor cleaning crew (due to smoke damage) will be here all day tomorrow, electric company (melted outside wiring) will be here today or tomorrow (but we are ok to use the electric now). And PAY for the premium, replacement value insurance. I have a full acre of sprinklers, sod grass and loads of plants and trees that are all covered. And it's not even 1pm yet. Go Allstate! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Daizey 0 #11 March 8, 2004 Wow, so glad everyone is ok!! From the looks of your local and state news stations it doesn't appear that it was a tornado...I looked and none of the stories seem to mention it at all... So sorry for everything you lost. Very scary! Sounds like you have soem great people out there and around ya there to help ya out! Again, glad you, and everyone else is ok! *daizey* Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
misskriss 0 #12 March 8, 2004 It stormed so hard here last night... I was lying in bed talking on the phone and the rain is coming down. The wind was literally howling and I could hear my back gate banging. It's thundering and lightning and then it started to hail. The dog started whimpering and barking under the bed and wouldn't come out.. then I hear the emergency bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz go off on my daughters radio coming from her room. I ran in to listen and I guess a tornado had touched down northeast north carolina/south east virginia and listed the counties to take cover. When she said Virginia Beach, I woke up all the kids took pillows and blankets and ran downstairs where we crowded in the bathroom. I went out to put on the weather channel just in time to hear a lady again say to take cover and then the power went out. I knew that it probably would not come anywhere near us but the feeling of complete powerlessness was just frightning. Here I was with my babies and trying to keep them safe and the images of the house falling down around us just flashed through my mind. The front blew through so fast and it was all over as quickly as it had started. Obviously the tornado didn't come anywhere near us but it scared the shit out of me. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slotperfect 7 #13 March 9, 2004 Damn, Kate . . . I'm glad you guys are OK and came out of that as well as you did. Obviously it could have been much worse. Glad to hear reparations are already underway as well. As for the weather, the scary part was how it came upon us so quickly. The temperature dropped from a balmy 75 to 50 in no time, and the winds came up almost instantly. There was no warning at all. We lost power all night, but that was it. Tornado?? I hadn't heard of one, but I'm not much of a news watcher. I will say that conditions were prime for it, though.Arrive Safely John Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Raefordite 0 #14 March 9, 2004 QuoteAs for the weather, the scary part was how it came upon us so quickly. The temperature dropped from a balmy 75 to 50 in no time, and the winds came up almost instantly. There was no warning at all. We lost power all night, but that was it. A "jet stream" (which is normally at 30,000 ft at an average of 100mph) dipped down and came to the ground. Typically when this rare event happens it is for a very short period of time. Not hours like last night. Very high winds, sharp temp. change, rain, hail, tornados are all part of it. We were skydiving at 6pm, it was light and variable winds at 7:40pm when I got home, winds of over 40 mph (on our windmeter on the roof at the house) by 8:40pm. It got worse from there. I may not have all that exactly right, but that is close. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattM 0 #15 March 9, 2004 As I was cooking some chicken noodle soup in my campie I heard the winds and the power flickered 3 times then died... great. Kinda freaky since it came out of no where. Anyways, I didn't have a flashlight so I ran over to Droops place in the riggers loft and stole his candle. As I head to the door to open it.... it opens it self at what seemed 60mph and slammed back closed even harder. I was scared. The bathroom window was open which I guess was causing a back draft. After I finally get a hold of his door and lock it... I notice it almost split in half.. run over to the window and see the orange glow across the runway and then I start to hear "the freight train" noise everyone talks about on the news when they talk about their house getting blown down and over 100 yards by a tornado. I stare out the window for about 15min watching the orange glow getting bigger and it starts to calm down a bit... sweet... I'm alive. Glad everythings Ok Kate and Tony. I hope God wasn't trying to pay Kate back for calling me an asshole earlier in the day... Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aviatrr 0 #16 March 9, 2004 is the cause of the fire suspected as lightning? Mike Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattM 0 #17 March 9, 2004 Quoteis the cause of the fire suspected as lightning? Mike I have no clue, but I think I did see a few flashes... Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkymonkeyONE 3 #18 March 9, 2004 If the campy is a rockin, don't come a knockin! Check it! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hmatousek 0 #19 March 9, 2004 Glad to hear everyone's okay. Gimp, I'll give you your money for your golf game if I see you again. Sending my best to everyone!! HeatherLife doesn't have to be perfect in order to be beautiful! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaGimp 0 #20 March 9, 2004 ok...acording to the report this monring that I heard....no torando...but highest recorded winds in NC was 174mph...good thing that wasnt here"Professor of Pimpology"~~~Bolas Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Raefordite 0 #21 March 9, 2004 Quoteis the cause of the fire suspected as lightning? Nope, no lightning. The electricity was flickering on and off. The best guess was a neighbors private security outdoor light blew with a power surge. It caused a spark. The wind took care of the rest. QuoteGlad everythings Ok Kate and Tony. I hope God wasn't trying to pay Kate back for calling me an asshole earlier in the day... MattM - Thank you for your concern about us. I do appreciate it. And Yep, you needed to be called out earlier in the day. Your comment on the DZ was self serving, inconsiderate of others and most of all your attitude was a safety threat to the other jumpers on the same load as you. But that is the past and behind us. However if it is still a problem or you don't understand why the S&TA of the DZ had a problem with your comment, then PM me or talk to me directly. Perhaps we can resolve it better than here on the forums. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MattM 0 #22 March 9, 2004 QuoteYour comment on the DZ was self serving, inconsiderate of others and most of all your attitude was a safety threat to the other jumpers on the same load as you. I guess you failed to see the smile on my face and hear that I said I was kidding... I had no clue what happened as I was not on the load. Furthermore, being an S&TA, I would have thought you would have handled the situation better than calling me a name... but yea its just a big mis understanding, and it is behind us. As for a tornado, I was told by someone on the Raeford Fire Dept. that there was a tornado... I don't think anyone has a clue. Matt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
colbrodie 0 #23 March 10, 2004 Geez, Kate! I just woke Tim up (I'm in France for the week) and he told me the story. This is crazy! I hope your Bradfords were spared. Glad you and the pooches survived with most of your property intact - if Lil King was a little scared of storms before, I'm sure he'll be scared silly from now on! T-Thack - glad your brand new barn is okay See ya'll this weekend Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
