Trying To Get Back To Normal
One thing that got me through the last five days was being able to read books.
I don’t recall who, but one of you years ago sent me one of those clip on battery operated book lights.
And oh, how thankful I was to have that in my possession this past 5 days!
So that’s what I did without electricity, internet, or phone. I read books. At least one book a day.
I think I might have gone a little crazy otherwise. Because I’m not the type to just sit idly and think.
I’d read a book and then take it over to my neighbor Pat to read. She loves the same kinds of books that I like to read.
Much Of Tulsa Is Destroyed:
Without books to read, I’d just be wondering how much of Tulsa was destroyed without the ability to get news. Just word of mouth around the neighborhood.
Indoors was made bearable by holding a cold wash cloth to my face, head, and neck.
Heat is one thing, but add humidity and you’ve got yourself one very uncomfortable problem. I began feeling sick and I’m still not 100% nearly a week later.
People in the know will tell you that Oklahoma can have high winds. This was, for me, a whole new category.
One hundred mile per hour winds uprooted huge trees by the roots.
It was terribly sad to see all these big beautiful trees ruined and tossed aside like they weighed nothing.
Yes, Tulsa will recover. But just think how old some of those trees were. The parks look frightful.
Woodward Park:
In particular, I have always enjoyed going to Woodward Park to take photos.
I told Greg months ago that the one thing I really wanted to do when I could walk was go out there to take photos again.
Of the trees in the fall, the flowers and plants in spring and summer, as well as the fish ponds. The rose garden.
Now I don’t know how much of it is left to take photos of.
I Slept Right Through It Somehow:
And I slept right through this storm living in the bottom floor apartment.
I didn’t know what had happened until the following morning. When things looked like they’d been shaken apart by a big monster and then set back down completely ruined.
So much of Tulsa is without power, without stores and restaurants to go to. Lines are very long everywhere because there’s so little left for so many.
Cars still have trees on them. Electrical lines are down and dangerous. It is not a pretty sight.
Businesses will have to find a way to recover, as will restaurants.
It is humbling to look around you and that which was there in front of you one day, the next day is gone.
I’ve been on the phone for hours trying to get cell phone service re-established. So that will be one headache taken care of.
I so appreciate the concern many of you had for my welfare. And my heart goes out to those who have lost so much during this time.
What a relief to see your previous post and know you’re okay. I had an uneasy feeling when I didn’t see a post from you for a couple days. At the time I didn’t connect this to the storm, which I saw on tv with Tulsa smack in the middle of the map’s danger zone.
Are you able to recover some of your frozen food loss thru insurance? Someone else here mentioned a battery operated fan. That might be a good purchase. I’m glad your lower level living kept you unaware of the storm. Can you imagine how frightening that would be?
I’m relieved to read that you and Ivy are okay. These intense storms are getting worse and worse. This reminds me of when Hurricane Sandy ripped through our area. It looked like a war zone. Stay safe!
Oklahoma declared a state of emergency for 10 counties on June 20th. I don’t know if Governor Stitt or the Lt. Governor are back in Oklahoma yet, they were both out of state when the storm damage occurred and it was the President Pro Tem of the Oklahoma Senate who declared the state of emergency at the request of the Governor under Oklahoma’s State Constitution provisions. Federal aid and help will be pouring into your area soon if it’s not already arriving. Clearing roadways and getting power restored will be the first things emergency workers will be taking care of. Hang in there Brenda.
Happy to hear that things are slowly moving back to normal. I hope you are feeling better soon. Stay safe.
Glad to hear you and Ivy are OK, Brenda!
I watch a YouTube channel by Ryan Hall. He is a professional weather analyst and anytime severe weather is predicted he is online live in his command center with storm chasers linked to his feed in real time. I highly recommend his channel for anyone who is in the areas prone to severe weather. When he started talking about the high winds heading for Tulsa right away I thought of you. Then when you hadn’t posted for several days I became very concerned. I’m so glad you and Ivy are safe and unharmed.
I had you on my mind all day yesterday and prayed that you’d start to feel better very soon. I’m so glad to hear that your friends all came through the storm, as well.
Yes, thank goodness for books, the clip on light and so many other things. We have some terrible monsoon storms during the summer and quite often lose power. A couple of years ago a neighbor suggested I buy a battery powered fan and battery powered lights. I keep the fan and a lantern style light near my bed. In the kitchen I have battery powered under cabinet type lights. All purchased from Amazon.
Take good care of yourself and Ivy. Hugs!
I am so glad you had books to read and then passed them over to a friend. You have real community where you live! It is wonderful when people look after their neighbors. I am surprised Ivy wasn’t upset and woke you up during the storm. Continue to hydrate and take it easy. Hope you feel better soon.
I had no idea about the storm in Tulsa, I always look at the weather in Canada and the US but I must have missed it. So glad you and dear Ivy are alright.
When there was no blog from you I just assumed you were taking a break.
Hope things get back to normal soon for you.
Glad you are safe Brenda. I have on the edge of the storms the past few weeks & hail has been nearby. It is sad to drive around and see all the damage from hail.
Hope thing’s return to normal soon
Humidity really does a number on me too…do take it very easy until you feel normal again…stay hydrated well. I am glad your apt was protected. The 1 good thing about where our apt is located is that we are as shielded from storms here as possible. I guess if a hurricane blows thru, we will know how well. But so far it appears safe. I hope things will be fixed soon there so at least food is easily available!!
I’m so thankful that u, Ivy and your family and friends are doing ok Brenda! Stay safe and away from downed wire and trees! Hugs and prayers to u!
I remember in 1994 when LA had a big EQ. I live about 10 miles from the epicenter. Our house had no damage just lots of broken dishes and empty cupboards. The ground continued to shake all day. I was sitting outside with my daughter in the afternoon and thought to myself what an eerie feeling it was. You knew life was going on all about you but parts of LA were devastated. It must be similar for you with all the destruction. I am just thankful you and Ivy are all right.
Hope you are feeling better and I am glad that you have power back on as you mentioned that many residents still do not.It will take some time for Tulsa to clean up but they will; in the meantime stay safe and far away from any downed power lines (hopefully they have all been cleared off the streets at this point)! The grocery stores should have been running on generators during the storm so, aside from high demand, they should be up and running and hopefully getting lots of deliveries to restock their shelves! Personally, I would stay off the streets as much as possible for a while to allow various crews to work and clean up – and also to mitigate the risk of being near trees that could still fall due to very flooded soil or from wind damage. Take special care:-)