Since today is June first, all the newscasters have been rehashing the Tornado of 2011.
The weather was unusually hot and muggy that day and thunderstorms were in the forecast for that afternoon. Things changed very quickly when a funnel cloud started to form in Westfield. The tornado made its way eastward over the Connecticut River not far from the South End Bridge right around the time my husband was headed home from work. I was worried because that is the route he takes home, and he was in its path. About ten minutes after I saw the broadcast on the news (in the basement!) he arrived home. What a relief!
A few weeks ago I was at Pynchon Point Park. It is a pleasant place to hang out on a beautiful spring day. Many anglers go there in the spring for the striped bass and the shad run. I have yet to see anyone catch fish there, but I'm sure they do. The river near the park is shallow for quite a distance, and with the warm weather they probably prefer the deeper water. Here's a picture of the bridge that was parallel to the tornado. Notice the fishing rod on the sandbar. The tornado went over the river not far from the spot where I took this picture.
I spoke to one of the fishermen who was there with his family. They had been displaced by the tornado four years ago. His home was totally destroyed and they had to move in with relatives. He was elated that their new house was almost completed and they would be moving in a few weeks. Although he lost everything (and for a few frightening minutes his son was missing), he was very thankful that they had survived the ordeal and that no one in his family was killed or injured by the Tornado of 2011.
You can see some of the houses that were destroyed in last year's post.
Four years later, things have pretty much gotten back to normal, and there is little evidence of tornado damage, except for the spindly trees that were planted to replace the hundred year old ones destroyed in the storm.
I will end this with a haiku, inspired a man who lost everything, except what really mattered.
death and destruction
sadness and loss will never
replace memories.
If you like haiku, I highly recommend the The Art of Being Human, Volume 11. There are many talented writers featured in this book. My haikus are on pages 13-14.
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