Tornado - Too Close

I was driving to Wagner, SD (Indian Reservation) to do a Kid’s Service. At approximately 10:30 am I came over a hill and saw a horrible scene – thick dark blue clouds near the horizon. The huge storm looked mean and it was moving away from the area I was driving to. I drove into Wagner and found the entire town’s electricity off. I went to the All-Tribes Kid’s Zone Church. A lady on the phone, shouted to me, “There is a tornado on the ground.” The air was still. I looked to the northern sky and immediately knew the location of the twister. A few minutes later I learned that the officials in Wagner were asking residents to go to Delmont, where a tornado touched down, to help look for survivors. I rounded up my two boys and we headed there.

Ten miles of untouched open land we traveled. A demolished farm became visible on our left, on our right - untouched trees. Authorities stopped us two miles outside of Delmont. We turned around. The town of less than 300 was being evacuated.

The picture above is one of a church. The kids were having Sunday School in the basement. They were all safe. The teacher said she could hear the bricks of the 1908 building crumbling and debris flying. The kids reported ears popping.

The thick dark blue clouds will be a scene I’ll not soon forget.