A Funnel Cloud Buzzed Us

After I did a little housecleaning and other inside work this evening I noticed the rain had stopped. I decided it was the perfect opportunity to get the trash can up from the road and maybe enjoy the cooler after storm breeze and survey any new damage out in the yard and garden. As I am dragging the trash can back I look out to the West and see an unmistakeable funnel cloud moving across the mid-range horizon.

I am guessing it was maybe a mile away tops. I walked over to that side of the yard and watched the tornado quickly get sucked back up into the main cloud bank and just as quickly another little funnel came down this time to the Southwest. The second tornado was also quickly sucked back up into the main cloud. I have about a good two mile un-obstructed view over the top of a few corn fields and cow pastures so it's pretty easy for me to estimate how far away the storm was.

As I watched a couple of neighbors who had turned onto the gravel road that borders that side of my property stopped and had gotten out of their cars and were watching the storm with me. Another little funnel cloud came down but only made it about halfway to the ground before dissipating.

And then.........

The trash clouds around the thing parted and we saw the monster for what it was. A huge funnel cloud that stretched over half the horizon and was laying on it's side rolling across the sky like some huge wave a surfer would be riding in the ocean.

This massive tornado kept moving East right over the top of us occasionally throwing off little tornadoes as it went. I couldn't tell you how fast it was moving but it was going at a pretty good clip. I counted six more little mini-tornadoes after it passed over us until the rain and hail that was following in it's wake drove me back inside.

It was pretty impressive. Kinda lets you know just how small you are.

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!

and wear silver slippers :)