One year ago..

[jreifsch80]

no maybe you're thinking of my cousin jeff lol

[hghclsswhitetrsh]

Don't forget that the Windsor tornado was 4 years ago. 1 person died, millions of dollars of damage, and thousands of lives affected.

[Snowman78]

Chilling photos. Since you're in adjustment/claims do you know much about that Home Depot structure? Was it built to code or were some short cuts taken or did they relax their code to allow a large retailer to build on more of a budget? The reason I ask is that there had to be WAY more people in that hospital but as I recall there were many more people killed in that HD structure. As sad as it is the closet engineer within me always wondered about build quality comparison of the two buildings since it also sounds like the hospital was more of a direct hit. I don't know if you're privy to any of that but I would be curious to know.

Yes it was up to code as far as I know, the problem is that it was built like every Home Depot with large shelfs all over the floor plan. So when the storm hit they had everyone go to the center of the store and all the shelving fell on them. The people who went to the inner outside walls made it out.

The few photos don't even come close to how bad it really was, you just had to be there to really understand how bad it was. The damage path was over 9 miles long and 1.5 miles wide at its biggest point.

I also worked the Windsor storm and it was nothing compared to this.

[sniper7]

I flew around it that night and over it the next day. Easy to see the destruction even from 35000 feet. Amazing to see the track the tornado took and the devastation it left behind.

[Skully]

My friend works at that hospital as an IT administrator. It was very scary and talking to him it was a LIFE changing moment.

[rondog]

I grew up in western OK, and tornados were very common. I do have to say that our town only got hit once, and pretty mildly compared to what many have experienced. I was very young, but I still remember seeing the damages.

We got hit by a huge flood in '73, and it did more damage I believe. I was working that night as a delivery driver, I'll never forget the rain and seeing parts of my town becoming rivers, seeing cars and houses sailing by and crashing into things. I can't even tell you how many cars ended up in trees in one area of town.

Ma Nature can be a real bitch sometimes. Makes you realize what puny, pathetic, weak little creatures us humans really are when you see what mere weather can do to us and our world as we know it.

[Jer]

no maybe you're thinking of my cousin jeff lol

Is Jeff seriously your cousin or are you just joking? I graduated with Jeff from Gering. He's a good dude.

Don't forget that the Windsor tornado was 4 years ago. 1 person died, millions of dollars of damage, and thousands of lives affected.

That's what I said that I moved to the foothills specifically. I'm West of Loveland and the weather is different here than in the town of Loveland let alone Windsor.

Yes it was up to code as far as I know, the problem is that it was built like every Home Depot with large shelfs all over the floor plan. So when the storm hit they had everyone go to the center of the store and all the shelving fell on them. The people who went to the inner outside walls made it out.

The few photos don't even come close to how bad it really was, you just had to be there to really understand how bad it was. The damage path was over 9 miles long and 1.5 miles wide at its biggest point.

I also worked the Windsor storm and it was nothing compared to this.

I can't believe they had people go to the center of a large structure. Yikes. I would tell them, no thanks, I'll be in the bathroom if you need me.

[mevshooter]

It looks like most of the racks are still standing, though. Hiding under them might have helped. They're anchored into the concrete and can typically hold a few thousand pounds of weight.

[Lex_Luthor]

Is Jeff seriously your cousin or are you just joking? I graduated with Jeff from Gering. He's a good dude.

Do you guys know any of the Moore family from Gering/Scottsbluff?

[Jer]

Do you guys know any of the Moore family from Gering/Scottsbluff?

Sounds familiar.