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Topic: Tornado warning - yesterday's gig /Talk about cabinet drop! |
Marc Friedland
From:
Fort Collins, CO
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Posted 4 Aug 2013 12:39 pm |
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It seemed like a very pleasant way to make a couple of hundred bucks on a Saturday afternoon, playing with a band at an event called Kersey Days in Colorado about 25-30 miles east of our home in Fort Collins. A couple of hours later when I’m concerned for my safety running over to the Fire Station which has the only “Safe House†in the city, that money didn’t seem quite as significant… It’s OK to laugh if you want – I’m obviously still here.
These photos I took are about an hour before the storm even hit us and it was already so windy they had to take the stage down, but we weren’t receiving any of the torrential rain yet. Soon we heard that a twister touched down in Greeley about 10 miles west of us and the storm was quickly heading our way. I was talking with some of the local folks and they said we don’t we have to be too concerned unless the siren goes off which means a tornado touching down in the area is imminent. I probably don’t need to tell you what happened next, but I will anyway. Usually tornadoes in our part of Colorado are only F1s and not the big ones that are a mile wide that hit the mid-west, but still scary enough.
My wife Lorilee has given me very explicit instructions not to die while away from home performing music and I certainly try my best to honor her wishes.
Instead of following my younger band-mates who were trying to get a better view of the twister that had touched down sort of near us, I decided to go back to the modular-trailer type of structure that was our designated band room. Doesn’t that sound like a great place to take refuge from a tornado! Obviously, I’m not a meteorologist, but I knew when the sky was darkening and the clouds were rotating in some weird pattern - that trailer was not going to protect me. I asked an event security person if they knew of anyone close by that had a basement, and she informed me to go to the Fire Station as that was the only truly safe place in town and gave me directions – it was only about a mile away. About a minute later the siren goes off – I run to my car and head over to the Fire Station (I only got lost once) and the downpour of rain is just starting to hit us. I get there and was instructed where to park and where to go. We go down two full flights and from there you can’t see or hear anything happening outside. I called Lorilee to tell her I’m not sure what’s going to happen, but I’m in the absolute safest spot in the city. About 5 minutes later most of the band shows up and they were wondering where I was. Someone had found my keys on the ground near the trailer and they didn’t know I had an extra. The police came & got everyone in the trailer and said you can’t stay here, it’s not safe, and took them to the Fire Station. The FD brought down water & towels for everybody, and they were extremely hospitable. About a half hour later they announced the storm has now passed us and it was safe to go outside. No tornado touched down in the city of Kersey where we were, but I understand about a half dozen did materialize in our part of Colorado. The event managers, Mayor of the city, etc, all had a meeting that we were also part of and decided none of the scheduled fireworks, but we’ll move the party inside to a “Field House†(a large gymnasium type structure) so they did a reverse 911 call letting everyone know to come out of their homes and join the party. We played a 90 minute set for about 40 people and everyone loved it. We were tempted, but refrained from adding songs to our set list that were tornado & storm-related.
-- Marc
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 4 Aug 2013 2:14 pm
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| Whoa! |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 4 Aug 2013 2:21 pm Re: Tornado warning - yesterday's gig /Talk about cabinet dr
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What a harrowing experience! Glad you're all ok.
But, I gotta say, it IS the perfect set up to kick off your set with "Storms Never Last, do they baby?"
SURELY you didn't miss that opportunity, did you??
_________________
www.JimCohen.com
www.RonstadtRevue.com
www.BeatsWalkin.com |
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Barry Blackwood
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Posted 4 Aug 2013 4:23 pm
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That or, "They Call the Wind Mariah…"  |
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Marc Friedland
From:
Fort Collins, CO
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Posted 4 Aug 2013 8:00 pm
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Some of my thoughts were Windy by the Association, Riders on the Storm, Stormy, Texas Tornado and of course Somewhere over the Rainbow. And there was a really cool big double rainbow later. It's easy to joke about it now, but I admit it was a little scary when the siren sounded.
Last edited by Marc Friedland on 4 Aug 2013 8:04 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Marc Friedland
From:
Fort Collins, CO
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Posted 4 Aug 2013 8:53 pm
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"They call me the breeze"
"The wind cries Mary"
Sure, it's easy now that the pressure is off... |
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David Graves
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 5 Aug 2013 2:18 am
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It always seems to be the "younger" band members that want to see the storm. I was one of them once. In Woodward OK. back in the early 80's we were playing the circuit when the sirens went off. The tornados were just a few miles away and I wanted to see one. ( I was from a small town.. I ain't never seen a tornado before ) So while standing at the front door to the club watching the rain and cracking jokes.. I felt safe in a smarteleck kind of way. Then the rain stopped, the american flag on the flag poles stood straight out and before we could get inside to the restrooms.. we were hit!! It took the roof off, destroyed the place and left us in the ladies room under a counter. Rule #1 When a tornado is emminate.. follow the older people. They are much smarter than the rest of you.
_________________
St. Blues 1984 "Holy Grail"
Take the time to introduce someone young to music... and play a few songs with someone old. |
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