MyFox
 

Mark_Ockerbloom's Blog

by Mark_Ockerbloom from Dedham

Last Post 6 days, 12 hours Ago


Tornadoes Are Torture!
Jul 24, 2008 | 7:21 PM
Category: News
Report This Post

The recent tornado has me reflecting on my days in Oklahoma. I worked in Oklahoma City for six years and saw firsthand the incredible destruction these storms can cause. Though I covered sports at the time, I was asked to cover the aftermath of the deadly F-5 tornado that tore through Moore, Oklahoma in 1999 killing 48 people. I interviewed kids who worked at a Sonic drive-through restaurant who survived the twister by taking shelter in the freezer, crouching down amidst the onion rings and corn dogs! When they finally emerged everything around them was gone...including their cars...many of which had no insurance coverage. But hey, they were lucky to be alive.

Another vivid image is that of driving past the streets where homes once stood and were now all reduced to rubble. The slabs upon which they were built exposed. A basement may be the place to go in the event of a tornado, but the cruel reality is few are built in Oklahoma because of the red clay in the ground. Apparently the grounds not rigid enough. Another site... the trees... big trees pulled apart at their mid-sections just like they were in Epsom and Deerfield. Having lived through several tornadoes, including one that passed just three miles from my home, I can't tell you what a helpless feeling it is to sit and wonder if you're in the path of destruction. Seconds pass like minutes... minutes like hours.

Little did I know they'd travel back home with me.
16 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 16
Page 1 of 1
sirB read my blog
Jul 24, 2008 | 7:38 PM

Mark,

I have always said that New England is the best place to live because we have the 4 seasons and never any earthquakes(none that we ever felt), TORNADO's, forest fires(not crazy ones anyway) or 120 degree days. Lets savor these times because I think eventually Mother Nature will start throwing more of these our way. SCARY.....
fenwaydav read my blog view my photos
Jul 24, 2008 | 7:45 PM

Ock, When I see the destruction of our Midwest States, I thank God that I never had to witness a tornado first hand. Even our hurricanes are far and in between. Blizzards are a piece of cake. In a matter of seconds where once stood a home, NOTHING! Now NH and RI and Mass. Is there any place safe?
Chip read my blog view my photos
Jul 24, 2008 | 8:01 PM

Ock,

I was in OKC the weekend after...an image aht lives with me, and will until they put me in the ground was Sooner Ave...nothing...NOTHING...except one quarter of a house, with a chimney. For a mile...

And in that chimney a large branch...and on that branch an American flag...proudly erect in the Oklahoma winds.

To this day, it brings to my eye a tear of sympathy and a tear of pride. Them Ole Okies won, Ock. And this Yankee came to understand "The Finger of God."
momofsimey
Jul 24, 2008 | 10:46 PM

Ock,

I have to tell you that I am FACINATED by Tornadoes. Although the closest I came to one was on July 25, 1999 in Peabody MA. My parent's roof came off and the screen house was crumpled like a piece of tin foil. However, I am still stuck like glue when the tornadoes come on the TV.. I am going camping with my family for most of the month of August. We are going to ME and NH and for the first time, I am VERY worried that we will get caught in a tornado. Being home and being able to go into the basement is a better feeling than knowing I will be in a camping trailer that could be up in a cloud somewhere... Hopefully we can keep the weather under control until I get back.. We watch you guys EVERY night, we love you guys.. Have a great and safe summer.. Melody and Matt
Aidan891 read my blog view my photos
Jul 24, 2008 | 10:49 PM

Mark,

That sounds so devastating. I couldn't imagine seeing all of that. We see it on the news sometimes but I would never think of it happing here. That must have been a good story to cover because of the people who survived but a sad story to cover because of the death and the destruction.

Aidan
legendkiller34 read my blog
Jul 24, 2008 | 10:51 PM

Mark,
So is that where they got the song
"Oaklahoma where the wind blows"?
No but seriously, my brother lives in Cal.
and was out there working in a building when the Earthquake hit,I know you're saying which one LK, it was the one that the highway came down, anyways, he said the building just started swaying, and all the regulars said
"it's just a tremor", but on this day the ceiling started coming down in back of them as they ran down flights of stairs, they all got out but he said " You can't believe the destruction, and it only takes seconds,
it just shows there are things more powerful than us.
JuneInMA read my blog view my photos
Jul 24, 2008 | 11:07 PM

I can't even imagine living through devastation like that. Yet, people there pick up the pieces, rebuild and continue to live. A remarkable display of their strength, I think.
dragonphly00
Jul 24, 2008 | 11:13 PM

I lived in Wichita Kansas and worked at several of the area hospitals. The tornado of May 1999 was devastating.I was at work when we were alerted of the approaching storm coming up from Oklahoma. We had to work at getting almost 450 patients safely moved to the tunnel that connected several of the buildings. After the storm passed the trauma patients started to arrive.All of them were covered in mud,leaves,trash & broken glass. Most had broken limbs, head trauma.The hospital itself was not hit but the surrounding area was decimated. Houses, apartment buildings, stores, trees were gone. It looked like a war zone. That particular tornado started in Oklahoma and destroyed many homes,buildings on its way to Wichita.I've survived many tornadoes, but this one I will never forget.
captainseapig read my blog view my photos
Jul 24, 2008 | 11:39 PM

While in Texas years ago I had a shave with a tornado almost. I was walking in a nice suburban neighborhood. The storm came in slowly at first. Birds stopped singing, dogs stopped barking the sky got very black and a funnel cloud started to form not 100 yards away. People began to run into their homes. I just stared at the cloud in disbelief. It came down out of the mother cloud never quite formed and went back up and the sky cleared. To close for comfort.
Mark_Ockerbloom read my blog view my photos
Jul 24, 2008 | 11:58 PM

Hey folks, a few other notes on that tornado . It was actually one of 66 tornados that touched down!

Also, when it first started bearing down...I was covering a hockey game in Oklahoma City 20-minutes north. Our live shot on the 6 o'clock news was cancelled so we could provide constant coverage. What I remember most was the players from both teams coming out to watch our tv monitor for updates on the storm. These were kids from all over the US and Canada and they were calling home on their cell phones to let their loved ones know they were alright. As it turned out...all the fans were evacuated into the underground parking garage until the storm passed and eventually they played the game..but some fans did return home to find their homes gone. But like Chip said, they did rebuild...I have a tremendous amount of respect for those who live there to this day.
tribe_fan_in_exile read my blog
Jul 25, 2008 | 12:28 AM

I drove through Oklahoma City that August with my two kids while taking our son to college out west. When we reached the area along I-40 that was nothing but retail on either side of the highway my first thought was "wow, what a ghetto". I then realized that it was from the tornadoes months earlier. Good thing our daughter was driving; I was so taken by the sight my eyes welled up. I remembered that a co-worker of mine at the time was a ham radio operator and that she and others were calling through for people to get in touch with their loved ones since the phone lines were down. Thank goodness for people helping each other out!
jovanone read my blog view my photos
Jul 25, 2008 | 11:29 AM

Mark,

66 Tornado's? Good Lord man, I think if I survived the first one that would have been enough for me and I would have taken that as a sign from God to get my butt the heck out of there and go home. Unbelievable...
dustingstarsoff read my blog view my photos
Jul 25, 2008 | 3:15 PM

my uncle dickie, who now lives in washington state, lived near worchester during the twister of 53. his neighbours died, but he made it... he said it was the most beautiful day before that storm hit, he'll never forget even if he tried.

let's hope since my relative who lived in MA went through a twister i won't... i am fascinated by them, but i would freak out if it was to actually happen.
captainseapig read my blog view my photos
Jul 25, 2008 | 3:33 PM

My freind Dick Kennedy was in the Worcester tornado when he was a lad. A buick came through his front picture window. His dads commuter bus fliped on it's side and skidded sideways until it hit a building. Dick and his siblings and mom and some friends were in a closet under the stairs. Furniture flew by rubble etc. DIck said he put his arm out of the closet for a second and it was sand blasted raw. When it was over it was calm with destruction everywhere. Very scary.
sirB read my blog
Jul 25, 2008 | 7:47 PM

Ya'know if you look at the title of this blog, at a glance it looks like it says "Tomadoes are Torture". Kind of funny with the whole salmenila thing going on.

Just a little something I noticed.
legendkiller34 read my blog
Jul 26, 2008 | 1:48 PM

SirB,
Yes but salmenila is caused by humans not doing their jobs properly, Tornados are acts
from THE BIG GUY
Page 1 of 1


Write your comment below:




Mark_Ockerbloom

I anchor the Fox 25 News at 5, 10 & 11pm and want to hear from you. Feel free to drop me a line anytime.

Member Since: 10/17/2006


 

View All Photos


RSS: XMLWhat is RSS?