It Wasn't Joplin, But It's Bad

Twelve people died here in Kentucky from Friday tornadoes. Central Kentucky was mostly spared, and my family and friends are fine.

But the mountains, where they have no margin for error, and where tornadoes are rare compared to western Kentucky, got hit hard.

From the Courier:

Twelve people died in Kentucky and tornadoes touched down in multiple counties as a storm system slammed the state for the second time in three days.

The deaths, confirmed late Friday by state government spokesman Chuck Wolfe, were in the eastern half of the state — four each in Menifee and Laurel counties, three in Kenton County and one in Morgan County.

Gov. Steve Beshear's office said a 12-person rescue team from Lexington was headed to West Liberty in Morgan County to try to reach storm victims. The downtown area sustained heavy damage.

Stephen Burt heard the twister coming and pulled his 23-year-old daughter to safety, just before the tornado destroyed the second story of the family's West Liberty home.

"I held onto her and made it to the center of the house, to a closet," Burt said. "I pushed her into the closet, and I felt like I was getting sand-blasted on my back."

When Mr. Burt says he heard the tornado coming, he means he heard the roar five, maybe 10 seconds before it hit. That sound does not mean "take shelter fast." That sound means "bend over and kiss your ass good-bye."

Tornadoes are terrifying because they are unpredictable, capricious and lethal. While a hurricane usually gives you hours, if not days, to get out of the danger zone, tornadoes are as likely to find you speeding away in your car as curled in the bathtub with a mattress over your head.

One minute it's heavy rain but only a "watch;" the next a twister is barreling through your neighborhood and the basement is too far away.

Yeah, you could take shelter as soon as the wind starts blowing, but in Kentucky that means spending March, April, May and June in the basement.

I've done my share of shrugging off danger as spring storms shake the house and I weigh the annoyance of schlepping down to the basement against the unlikelihood that this time the fucker will find me.

The Red Cross was on the ground in Eastern Kentucky before the wind let up. One day after President Obama declared March Red Cross Month. You can help the Red Cross by making an online donation or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.