I

these things aren’t supposed to happen here
but in one day
the warnings finally come true
monster twister between EF3 and 4
lays down a carpet of destruction
through Dunrobin
at least 50 homes destroyed
then sweeps across the Ottawa River to Gatineau
winds up to 260km/hr
multiple buildings damaged
Arlington Woods - Craig Henry - Greenbank
also hit hard
by a second tornado EF2
some injuries reported
but no fatalities...so far


II

no power
no phone
no TV
no Internet
no problem
thank goodness for
AA powered radio

like a bad hangover
just go to bed
hopefully sleep it off
while reminding myself
I’m one of the lucky ones


III

with wet clothes in the dryer
food thawing in the fridge and freezer
unable to see in front of me
I munch on peanuts
in pitch darkness
crunching in my mouth
the only sound
except for
intermittent sirens in the distance
it and the roaring silence
unsettling
deafening


IV

neighbourhood power restored
but still
no phone
no TV
no Internet
no problem
go out
stock up on groceries
oh no!
what if Metro isn’t open?
and the bank system down


V

south end is a mess
trees down
some intersections
with working lights
others not
Southgate mall
completely shut down
but across the street
business as usual
at Produce Depot
I buy enough food for a couple of days


VI

as time goes by
the number of tornadoes
the other day increases
Environment Canada now saying a total of six
dare I ask?
just a fluke...storm of the century?
or harbinger of things to come


© 2018

590 hits as of January 2024

09/24/2018

Posted on 09/24/2018
Copyright © 2024 Chris Sorrenti