Wind Storms Hit Utah

Thursday morning around 2 AM we were all awakened by the sound of howling winds outside our windows. Todd had heard a wind storm was coming in so we took down our summer shade scaffolding and put it away. But there is no way we could be prepared for what was on its way. The first thing we noticed was the sound, then the windows started buckling inward from the pressure. Soon it evolved into our whole house shaking from the winds. Next the lawn chairs and garbage cans blew into our neighbor's yard. Then sparks ignited in the sky from the transformers across the street blowing out. Over the rest of the night we started seeing pieces of our roof and soffet tearing off, debris flying through the air. Internet and TV connection went down and as day broke we sat in our upstairs window watching out my daughter's bedroom window as siding completely peeled away from our neighbor's homes. Our backyard quickly filled with giant strips of vinyle fence, metal. The trampoline started to take flight. We tried to secure it, but eventually it went airborne and bent in half from the wind pressure.

Another garbage can went literally sparking down our road as police officers with search lights combed the trail across the street and tractors came to push up the street signs laying flat. Eventually our 6 foot vinyl fences that are supposed to withstand 100mph winds started to break into pieces. All of our surrounding neighbors had huge chunks missing. In our front yard our little tykes plastic playground blew trough our fence and tore out a portion of our vinyl fence leaving our dogs free to run. Luckily they didn't go far...just the front porch. Nothing died down until around 10 AM but the automatic garage door had buckled inward leaving us trapped inside. School was cancelled in our District. Eventually we found a way to bend the garage and remove it from the tracks to open it manually.



A drive around the neighborhood was incredible. I've never seen anything like it. Mature pine trees completely toppled taking huge strips of lawn with them. Our two freeway exits both had semis laying on their sides and the Target parking lot was filed with other trucks who had to pull over to wait the storm out. McDonald's, In and Out, 7-11 signs were ripped to shreds and traffic light tilted to their side. The news said there were 50,000 people in our surrounding area without power and at least 15 semis overturned on the roads. Winds peaked at 119 mph.

In the end, we lost a tree in front, a portion of fence, our garage door, some siding and roof trim, our trampoline and our windows started peeling away from the wall on the inside of our house. What I saved was much more. We were fortunate. I felt a peace form knowing we have a generator for power and food storage for situations like this. If you are prepared you shall not fear.(D&C 38:30) Another scripture kept running through my head through the night...

Helaman 5:12

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

I feel blessed we were able to stay in our home and wait out the storm in safety and heat. I think my mission prepared me for this in a way because we had so many power outages called "black outs" in Chile as well as situations in which we know we were completely in the Lord's hands. I'm grateful I have an eight year old daughter who was so eager and anxious to help. She spent all day yesterday out with the ward cleaning up debris in our neighbor's yards while Todd cleaned up some of our destruction and re-hung Christmas lights. I am not much for bending over or being on my feet right now. It was heart warming to see many people helping each other to cut down fallen trees. Though we've never really felt a part of things I can see others around us are cared for and they band together.

My prayers go out to those who had significant damage. Tonight we are gearing up for another wind storm this time with snow. Our church was cancelled except for sacrament so we can all go home to secure our yards and help our neighbors prepare. My husband and two oldest are out there today with the Ranger chipping in. May the Lord bless all of us and keep us safe.

Governor issues a warning: Wasatch Front storm warning issued by Gov. Herbert | ksl.com#.TtuoP_byU5c.facebook