Gone With the Wind

Jayde Eubanks

On Sunday, October 12, the weather turned to the dark side complete with howling winds and in the words of Forrest Gump “...rain that flew in sideways.” But that is not all that occurred. At around 1:30 p.m., the Scott Air Force Base and Mascoutah tornado sirens sounded adding to the eerie experience. A tornado warning was issued and stayed in effect until 1:45 p.m., although the sirens ceased some time before. As always, instead of taking cover many neighbors, including myself, made our way outside to observe the frightening scene. Along with the crack of thunder, rain poured onto the streets and flooded backyards, trees blew over and blocked roads, and even roofs underwent some damage. Mr. Junker, Mascoutah High School’s assistant principal, made his big T.V debut on the news to comment on the extreme weather. He was also kind enough to answer a few questions I had about his experience. As stated by Mr. Junker, "I was at a movie in Belleville when the tornado appeared. When we returned back home there was very minor damage to the house, but our backyard was a mess. We lost all the trees, except one, and it destroyed three-fourths of the fence around our yard.” He continued to express his opinion on the dangers of tornados and the strength of their extraordinary winds. Mr. Junker replied, “People should take all warnings seriously and take cover.Tornados are an amazing power. This was an EF1. I can’t imagine the power of a tornado above an EF1.” Well, you heard it from one of Mascoutah High School’s very own principals. Tornados have incredible power, so when a warning is in effect please find a safe place and brace yourselves. It’s better to be safe than sorry.