My husband and I were brutally startled to a half way awakeness about 6:15 am Tuesday morning, February 26 while on a beach vacation. I grabbed my eye glasses and stumbled to the living room. I pressed my face and both hands against the sliding glass door that looks out onto the ocean, I MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE GARFIELD PRESSED AGAINIST THE WINDOW!! I tried to adjust my sleepy eyes as I peered out hard into the early morning dusk. I yelled back to Don as he was still stumbling toward the front of the rental house, "Don, come look at the ocean! Are we having a tsunami?' That is the only thought that ran through my head as the ear piercing sirens continued to blast. The ocean looked like normal storm waves; no tsunami. YEAH!

Don opened the side door and looked out as I opened the sliding glass door and stepped onto the balcony. The siren blasted again, only this time a verbal warning was issued "Tornado warning. Take shelter!"


WHAT?? WHAT!!! These thoughts ran through my groggy head.

I joined my husband at the side door. Our neighbor on the 1st floor unit came out and said "What did they say?"  My husband repeated the warning. We all looked around the sky. The sirens and warnings continued. After a few minutes, I told our neighbor "We may be hiding in your bathroom on the first floor!"  I do hope he left his door unlocked when he returned to his home.

My husband and I continued to monitor the sky and check local news for long time before we stretched back out on the bed and fell asleep.

This is the first time we have ever heard a tornado warning siren as we live in a rural area. The siren warning is very chilling and scary! It really makes you feel humble