We were sad last year when our excellent friends Jim and Carolyn Hercik and their two boys Ben and Danny left our area and moved to Gallatin, Tennessee, about 24 miles northeast of Nashville; but happy that Jim was excited about his new job.
And hey, the weather would be better than Northeast Ohio, right?
The weather had been swell until last Friday when tornadoes struck Middle Tennessee killing 12, causing over $68 million in property damage to more than 1,000 homes, businesses, and farms in Gallatin's Sumner County alone, the Herciks' home among the victims.
(The former Casa de Hercik - Gallatin, Tennessee)
Carolyn wrote to friends and family a few days later:
Friday morning... The boys went to school and I went to the grocery store, went out planted some flower seeds and had lunch and got on the computer, emailed some people and checked the weather. The service said that the storms would pass below Nashville so I was sending a letter to Mom saying we would be fine, then I heard the train sound, looked out the window and saw 2x4's circling about 100 yards up in the air along with other debris, so I went down the stairs and turned the corner and it hit the house, the dog was there on the floor at the bottom of the stairs and I just ducked and covered him and myself as best I could — there was no time to think about it.
I got hit with something on the back of my head and I have a pretty nasty black and blue mark on my right shoulder and a lot of cuts and abrasions from flying glass. It was over in seconds or so it seemed and it became very quiet, eerie almost.
The boys were still at school and I could not get to them until about 5:30. Our clocks had stopped at 2:24 p.m.
Article comments
1 - DJRadiohead
It was a scary night. We had tornadoes on the ground here in Huntsville, AL and the surrounding area that night. We're all thankful there were no lost lives in Alabama and the damage was minimal. A lot of people in TN were not as fortunate. I'm glad your friends are safe and hope they get back on their feet soon.
2 - Eric Olsen
thanks Josh, they seem to be rebounding already, although this is the kind of thing you probably never get over - never quite feel safe in your home again, although I don't want to put words in their mouths!
3 - Alli
You all are crazy for living in the middle of the country...people are crazy for living near the oceans now too...with global changes...mountains are all that are left.