What Do an Android Phone, Candles, a Laptop, and Sirens Have in Common?

About 8:30 p.m. last night, I was on Associated Content glancing at and reading articles when I heard an unusual sound. I live in Pocahontas, Arkansas and our siren system is somewhat new. I recognized the rain and some hail sounds but it took a few minutes to realize what the unusual sound was--a tornado siren!

Before yelling to my husband it was a tornado warning, I skipped over to the weather forecast online. In big red words was TORNADO WARNING. The path said it was headed northeast from eastern Pocahontas. We were directly in the path of the storm. I yelled at my husband the words "tornado warning!" There was no response except my children wondering what I was talking about. I yelled again and received no response. I finally stopped the AC reading long enough to come into the den to see where he was.

My husband was standing outside in the middle of the yard. He was completely clueless about what the noise was. I told him it was a tornado warning and then we were off to the basement.

There were a few problems.

I am no perfect human being. I do not clean the basement as I should. My husband is also imperfect and we had no flashlight. The lightbulb hadn't been changed and it was pitch black downstairs. I found the candles I saved in case of ice storms like last winter and my husband lit them. He was first to walk downstairs being shown the way by the light of his Android phone to clear the path. Owen was second carrying his candle. I was between Owen and Hannah walking by the light of my laptop and Hannah carried her candle.

Our children are both afraid of the dark. The light from the laptop, my husband's phone, and candles wasn't enough. We had two panic stricken small children downstairs in dust bunny heaven. Thankfully my husband's mom called to tell him when the radio said the tornado was past downtown Pocahontas where we live and it was ten minutes or so after we were downstairs.

Unfortunately, some places in town had minor damage from hail. Four people were injured in the path of these tornadoes (though none in Pocahontas) with one being killed. We were blessed to escape with no issues. While I adore spring weather, I do not enjoy the storms that come with it.