A Dad Weathers the Day of the Tornado at Clemson

    Drought relief came with terrible danger today.  And it turned this dad a little more gray, just like the storm clouds.

    A tornado touched down in Hart County, Georgia around 1:30 this afternoon.  An hour or so later, the storm produced another possible tornado, this time in the vicinity of Clemson University’s football stadium, damaging trees and buildings.

    As I worked from the anchor desk as part of News Channel 7’s continuous coverage, my mind couldn’t let go of what had happened at Clemson.

    You see, my daughter Kayla is a senior at the university, and this afternoon she was among the many Clemson students who had to go to cover as the storm came through.

    Kayla tells me she was in class when tornado warning sirens went off around 2:50 pm or so.  The students were sent to the basement of the building.  Approximately 3:15, the all-clear siren sounded, and students returned to class.  About twenty minutes later, they heard warning sirens again, and they went back to the basement.

    As I talked to Kayla on her cell phone, I could hear the loud, nervous conversations of her fellow students in the background.  She said most of them handled the situation without problem, though she said a couple of them were “antsy.“

    Being “antsy” is understandable when you’re hearing sirens and watching heavy rain, along with debris being blown by whirling winds.

    Fortunately damage was not severe, and we didn’t hear of anyone getting hurt.

    Kayla made it home safely.  That’s exactly where I wanted her to be.

    She added to News Channel 7’s coverage by giving me descriptions of what she was seeing, plus she helped us line up a Clemson student for a live telephone interview during one of our special weather reports.

    One other defining moment…

    Kayla complained to me that no adult was watching over the students or giving them information while they were evacuated to the basement.

    She laughed with embarassment when I reminded her, “Honey, -you- are the adult!“

    This time next year, Kayla will likely begin her career as a teacher and will be in charge of her own class.  Young people will depend on her to keep them safe.

    I believe she’ll be a better teacher for what she saw and learned this day of the tornado at Clemson.