Growing up in WF, I was at work on this ‘Terrible Tuesday’. Already having been in 2-3 tornadoes by age 26 - and with earlier reports of tornadoes in Seymour and Vernon - my eyes were to the sky.
Work was at the corner of 360 (SW Parkway) & Kemp Blvd, so looking west down that long flat road, presented a front row viewing spot to the developing storm coming in due west of my location.
As this was before any spotter training days, I was ignorant of some of the key indicators I know now. But it was obvious from years of storm watching, there was something different and wrong about this storm. I didn’t know of inflow, updraft or rain free bases. But I knew rotation. I knew wall cloud. And somehow I knew there was a reason to stand outside of work and keep watching this storm develop.
One of the most vivid mental pictures was to the left of what I now know was a strong updraft tower of grey clouds, was this beautiful open space of bright blue sky with white cumulonimbus clouds protruding to the south, from behind that grey tower. The stark difference in the beauty of the white puffy clouds and bright blue sky against the menacing grey storm was surreal.
But the peace & beauty of the moment quickly disappeared as I saw the first small funnel dip downward. Then there were 2. Then 3 or more dancing down & up and around the lowered clouds now brewing to the west. I broke my gaze, turning my head to alert other workers inside. When I turned back to the storm, the dancing ‘faries’ were now engulfed by a monster, wedge tornado in contact with the ground....... part 1