On Good Friday a huge tornado tore through St. Louis and touched down in four areas Our weather radio was giving constant updates to a ever changing weather pattern. The Air Force base where we are staying was not hit directly but there were thousand of homes that were destroyed and the St. Louis Airport had to closed due to severe damage to it's facilities.
A bag was packed with some essentials and we were listening closely to the weather report when security police knocked on our door and suggested evacuating to a stronger building. They did not have to ask us twice. We were grateful for the offer and special attention. It was the worst tornado in this area for 40 years but amazingly there were very few injuries.
We had purchased a First Alert Radio when we first started full timing. It can be programmed to your specific area and county with a S.A.M.E -specific area message encoding (these codes are found on the Internet and are easy to enter into the radio). This radio also allows you to select which warnings you want to hear.
We had read on other blogs how important it is to know what county you are camping in and where the nearest shelter is located. We had a bag, computer, coat, and shoes right at the door. The slides were pulled in and we were ready to leave at a moments notice. Some things are out of your control...like Mother Nature but being prepared as much as possible helps give us a little peace of mind. After a couple hours at the shelter we came back to the rig and tried to fall asleep.
The next day we decided to go to the St. Louis Art Museum. It seemed like a good choice on such a rainy day and the admission was free. The museum is located in Forest Park and is a very lovely area. There We have not gone to a museum in a long time but plan to visit more in the future. It really was fun.
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| Forest Park |
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| St.Louis Art Museum |
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| St. Louis |
The museum was built in 1904 and was one of the buildings during the Worlds Fair. There is a large expansion underway. Here are a few examples of the art work and sculptures on display
In the afternoon we went to the Gateway to the West. This very famous arch is a National Park and a well photographed landmark. John went to the very top and took these amazing photographs (click play to watch video). I decided to enjoy it from street level. The cost is $10 to take the five passenger elevator to the top. ($3.00 discount with a National Park Pass). There is also a museum that commemorates Lewis and Clark and the building of the arch.
Happy Easter to you and yours!
So glad to hear your area was not affected by the tornado. Have a Happy Easter and safe travels.
ReplyDeleteSylvia & Jerry
I'm so glad you were evacuated and that Jimmy was included! I think staying on base is a good thing during bad weather.
ReplyDeleteNice video John took from the arch.
Happy Easter to you both!..glad you are safe..Mother Nature's fury can be daunting at times!
ReplyDeleteGreat video from the top of the 'Arch'. The St. Louis Art Museum looks like a nice place to visit - thanks for the tour.
ReplyDeleteGlad the tornadoes missed you guys! That's one weather phenom that does scare me!
Glad the tornadoes didn't hit you directly, but we saw on the news that St. Louis was really hit hard. We had several here in Indiana that touched down. A few houses and barns were destroyed, but no loss of life. stay safe.
ReplyDeleteKeep safe. We also enjoy the tour of Budweiser.
ReplyDeleteBob and Jane
Glad to hear you were not in the tornados path. Our original plan was to be there for Easter but circumstances changed that. When we heard about the storm we were glad for the changes. There are so many fun things to do in St. Louis, I hope the weather improves so you can enjoy more of the area. We are headed there for a wedding in June that will be aboard one of the river boats. Stay safe.
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