I've lived in the West and have been through 'shakes - with cracking of walls but thankfully nothing to compare to what Haiti went through.

I've lived and am again on the East coast, and watched trees snapped and felled along our street and yard. Houses moved off foundation. Houses swept out into the ocean.

Water high and flooding both coasts but nothing instills the terror of the sound of a tornado. I was blessed to have a funnel swipe along a corridor along the trailer park edge we lived in ~ Park City, Illinois and in the same storm my husband chased down the road as he returned to our home from being one of the last to leave the Navel base watching homes, a church steeple, and what appeared to be human limbs before dropping in the street behind him.

Then seeing the funnel bouncing about and heading for the base where it took out a good portion of the on base trailers. No one was killed in this storm - the limbs were from a mannequin, the storm took homes where no one was home and the trailer park devastation was during suppertime and people had roof and wall lifted off as a giant can opener while they were left sitting saying grace.

My then 6 year old son insisted we lay on the floor in the hallway - just that day they did a drill on what to do during a tornado. Scared - spitless!

Your words brought back that fear. I'm sure it was vivid in your mind's eye as you wrote and captured the terror once again...Paula

It sounds like a really frightening experience. I've seen one tornado here in England, but it was only powerful enough to rip off a few chimneys! It makes me realise how lucky I am to live in a place where earthquakes, tornados etc. don't really happen. Touch wood.. You captured the scene well in your story.

as i read this story it took me back to my teenage years,i remember this really well and it was just as BAD as you wrote.i stood on my grandmas pourch and watched 4 go up and down that same mountian until she made us go to the celler.i could not have put it into words any better.you are a great writer

From your story I could understand what had actually happened on that day...really sad and such natural disaster shows us, how feeble we are in face of nature's rage.

Another point I would like to add i.i. your style of writing English is very good..I really liked it and while I was reading through the book, one thought constantly was pricking me..can I ever write English in such a manner..

Good work..Keep it up...

...from a personal perspective.
Wonderful pictures to compliment this tight little story of yours.
All the best,
Robin