The Day of the Tornado
Collection: Tornado Stories
Title
The Day of the Tornado
Scroll down to view the document; press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) to search within the PDF file.
Subject
Tornadoes--Hesston (Kan.)
Description
Account by Chad Wenger for school, handwritten and transcribed.
Creator
Wenger, Chad
Publisher
Hesston Public Library
Date
1990-04-09
Rights
Used with permission from Richard Wenger.
Relation
Wenger Photos
Format
application/pdf
Citation
Wenger, Chad, “The Day of the Tornado,” Hesston Public Library, accessed December 7, 2024, https://hesston.digitalsckls.info/item/797.
Text
The Day of the Tornado
Chad Wenger
English
story
April 9, 1990
The day of the tornado I woke up in the morning got dressed and went to school. At 3:15 my mom, big brother, and little brother came to pick me up from school. When they picked me up we went to Newton to get my dad's clothes for the next day. He was flying to St. Louis.
After we picked up his clothes we went to McDonald's and got my little brother something to eat. Then we went to subway [sic] and got my dad, my big brother, and I a sub and took it home.
When we got home my brother and I ate our subs while we watched T.V. My dad didn't eat his sub because he was still at work. I got done with my sub and I started making water ballons [sic] for my little brother. While I was making them, the T.V. came on and it said there was a tornado somewhere by Burrton. We just didn't mind it and kept doing what we where [sic] doing. Then the sirens went off again and it said it was heading for Hesston. About then our Grandpa's [sic] came. My Grandpa and big brother took out in my Grandpa's car to watch it. My grandma stayed at our house. Then the T.v. went off again and this time it said it was a mile from Hesston and everyone in Hesston take cover immediately!
My dad called and told my mom to get everyone in the basement. Then my dad took off and came home and we still weren't in the basement and my dad said, "get in the basement now"! We all went down to the basement but my dad stayed up in our half bath and watched it until all he could see was dark cloud. Then he ran down the basement steps and said everyone get under the pool table. Then you heard glass breaking and stuff ripping and then it was over.
We all went upstairs. My mom went first she pushed open the door and there was nothing there. Then he heard gas spewing and my dad said everyone on the street. After they were on the street he checked and made sure all of are [sic] neighbors were okay and they were. We walked around and looked what the tornado did. We saw my Grandpa and big brother. They were ok. My Grandpa, my mom, my little brother and I went to see if my Grandpa's house was ok, and it was. Then my Grandma, little brother, and I stayed at my Grandpa's house and my mom and Grandpa went back to get our stuff.
They were gone about two hours then they came back and my cousins came over. Later my dad, big brother, uncle, and I went back to get our stuff.
We were there for about four hours and it started to rain very hard. We kept working as fast as we could. When we were done we headed for my Grandpa's. When we got there it was about 11:00. My cousins went home. Then we all took a shower and talked a while. After that we went to bed. I was thinking about a house that wasn't there.
Title
The Day of the Tornado
Scroll down to view the document; press Ctrl+F (Windows) or Cmd+F (Mac) to search within the PDF file.
Subject
Tornadoes--Hesston (Kan.)
Description
Account by Chad Wenger for school, handwritten and transcribed.
Creator
Wenger, Chad
Publisher
Hesston Public Library
Date
1990-04-09
Rights
Used with permission from Richard Wenger.
Relation
Wenger Photos
Format
application/pdf
Citation
Wenger, Chad, “The Day of the Tornado,” Hesston Public Library, accessed December 7, 2024, https://hesston.digitalsckls.info/item/797.Text
The Day of the Tornado
Chad Wenger
English
story
April 9, 1990
The day of the tornado I woke up in the morning got dressed and went to school. At 3:15 my mom, big brother, and little brother came to pick me up from school. When they picked me up we went to Newton to get my dad's clothes for the next day. He was flying to St. Louis.
After we picked up his clothes we went to McDonald's and got my little brother something to eat. Then we went to subway [sic] and got my dad, my big brother, and I a sub and took it home.
When we got home my brother and I ate our subs while we watched T.V. My dad didn't eat his sub because he was still at work. I got done with my sub and I started making water ballons [sic] for my little brother. While I was making them, the T.V. came on and it said there was a tornado somewhere by Burrton. We just didn't mind it and kept doing what we where [sic] doing. Then the sirens went off again and it said it was heading for Hesston. About then our Grandpa's [sic] came. My Grandpa and big brother took out in my Grandpa's car to watch it. My grandma stayed at our house. Then the T.v. went off again and this time it said it was a mile from Hesston and everyone in Hesston take cover immediately!
My dad called and told my mom to get everyone in the basement. Then my dad took off and came home and we still weren't in the basement and my dad said, "get in the basement now"! We all went down to the basement but my dad stayed up in our half bath and watched it until all he could see was dark cloud. Then he ran down the basement steps and said everyone get under the pool table. Then you heard glass breaking and stuff ripping and then it was over.
We all went upstairs. My mom went first she pushed open the door and there was nothing there. Then he heard gas spewing and my dad said everyone on the street. After they were on the street he checked and made sure all of are [sic] neighbors were okay and they were. We walked around and looked what the tornado did. We saw my Grandpa and big brother. They were ok. My Grandpa, my mom, my little brother and I went to see if my Grandpa's house was ok, and it was. Then my Grandma, little brother, and I stayed at my Grandpa's house and my mom and Grandpa went back to get our stuff.
They were gone about two hours then they came back and my cousins came over. Later my dad, big brother, uncle, and I went back to get our stuff.
We were there for about four hours and it started to rain very hard. We kept working as fast as we could. When we were done we headed for my Grandpa's. When we got there it was about 11:00. My cousins went home. Then we all took a shower and talked a while. After that we went to bed. I was thinking about a house that wasn't there.
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