The headlines last night and this morning talk of a devastating tornado striking Moore and Oklahoma City, approximately 75 miles north of our community in southeastern Oklahoma. Thanks to everyone who texted and emailed expressing concern for us.

Just after the storm stuck the metro area, another storm, bearing eyewitness reports of a tornado on the ground west of Pauls Valley, was moving in our direction. The vo-tech texted that I wasn’t teaching because classes were canceled, and just a few minuted later, Abby called to say her office sent everyone home early. The storm bearing down on us looked pretty impressive on radar, but as it approached, its energy was spent, and we barely even got rain.

As the reports of the devastation in Moore started rolling in at about 5:30pm, our power went out and, as of this morning, had not returned. OG&E’s System Watch says there are 536 households in Byng without power this morning.

With the power out and Abby napping, I walked around the patch for over an hour, watching the sky and occasionally photographing it.

“A storm is coming
And thunder sends me running
All in a hurry
My heart is wrought with worry
And I know if I’m caught in the fury
Nothing will remain…“

~Oklahoma Town by Josh Gabriel and Winter Kills