In 1970, my husband and I still lived in Levelland, about twenty miles west of Lubbock. We had two young children at the time. In that year, I was to graduate from Texas Tech University. Yes, I was a late-bloomer, waiting until I was almost thirty to finish college.
I had bought my black disposable cap and gown for the ceremony in the university coliseum. However, a week before the ceremony, the night of terror struck us. The storms were so horrible, and we did not have radar nor did we have good radio reception for someone to inform us we were in danger. We had a concrete storm cellar in our back yard—it was there when we bought the small house. Not once had we used it, being afraid of going down there and closing the heavy cast-iron door.
The next day, in calm weather, we learned that Lubbock had been hit by an F4 tornado, and it was possibly a double one, as two had criss-crossed the city. We felt horrible for the town and the people.
I received a letter with a note that graduation had been canceled because the coliseum would be used for refugees. My cap and gown went into a drawer. A few weeks later, I received my diploma in the mail with an embossed letter from the university president. "Dear 1970 Graduate, I confer your degree upon you, etc." So, that's how I graduated.
I did not attend. It seemed like a lot of trouble, but I read the articles about it afterward and viewed photos. Wasn't it lovely for the university to do that? I was pleased that at least I had been invited.
One more note. The Class of 1970 was the first one with the distinction of graduating from "Texas Tech University." Before that, the college was "Texas Technological College." I was very proud of that fact.
Celia Yeary-Romance...and a little bit 'o Texas
http://www.celiayeary.blogspot.com/
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http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com/
That was a great post Celia. I've lived in Northern Louisiana but have never been through a twister. They've gone around and over us but never touched down in our little subdivision in Shreveport. It's still very scary though and my heart goes out to all that have lived through such a horrible situation.
ReplyDeleteHow very scary, Celia. I grew up in Ohio, and we get our shares of violent storms and tornados. Years ago I was driving down the road, stopped for gas at a little out of the way station, and just as I got out of the car, everything went still and the hair stood up on my nape. About a minute later, a tornado tore the gas station apart. I saw in it my rear view, and being a reporter by then, I drove around and covered the story. Only later did I realize how close I came to becoming Dorothy. A few weeks ago, I watched one come in over Indian Rocks Beach in Florida, although it was just a baby.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a story. You were so lucky to have that cellar.
ReplyDeleteI was in Kileen, texas in 1970, a new bride. My husband was statined at Fort Hood. Really weird weather there--thunder and lightning inside these big rolling clouds all summer long but barely ever any rain. Windy and dry and hot. I am very happy we didn't have any tornadoes come through. They are really scary. Great blog, Celia.
Hi Celia,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story. I'm very glad it had a happy ending for your family, and I'm glad your neighbors were looking out for you.
The red cap and gown - those would have been hard for me to pass up because red is one of my favorite colors. That's me to a T, doing something because of a color instead of a sentiment!
Enjoyed the post.
Maggie
Good story, and very scary. I have been through snow storms in Indiana, ice storms in Atlanta and tropical storms in Texas and Mississippi. I think tornadoes are scarier because you have so little warning.Glad you survived and graduated!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story, Celia. I was in Killeen in 1972 I think when a twister hit Fort Hood. We lived about a mile away but I remember seeing. We lived in a mobile home with no tie downs in a small trailer park outside of town. The old owner and his wife ran and locked themselves in their storm cellar. My husband was on the post and no one else was around. I had no car, nothing. I grabbed my 6 month old baby and my black poodle and ran out and lay down in a ditch until it was over. I was so scared - especially being from Idaho and never witnessing something like that before. Can't say I miss those days.
ReplyDeleteI rememberr the tornado that hit Lubbock. My inlaws house was damaged by wind and hail. They were really frightened, but the tornado missed them. Glad your family was all right. We've had our share of close calls, but the only thing badly damaged was a mobile home on our property that we rented out. Fortunately it was vacant at the time, so no one was hurt, but it was a total loss. The mobile home was on the property when we bought it because the previous owner used it as a weekend place.
ReplyDeleteWasn't P.L.'s landlord in Killeen a stinker? She and her baby could have been killed.
Wow, Ceilia. That's a pretty scary story as I've been about as close to a Tornado as I ever want to get. I'm glad it all worked out and you were safe. I wish we had a basement or cellar when all those tornado warnings are sounding around here. Can't believe there were two in MA today. Crazy weather.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you got your diploma, too.
Celia--A belated congratulation on the graduation. We lived through several tornadoes in Ohio, but the worst was in 1997 when it hit my neighborhood and destroyed so many houses. The place looked like a war zone. Thank God our house was not affected. On a funnier note, I didn't attend my M.S. graduation because I was nine month pregnant with baby number two, but I rented the gown and cap and took pictures at home. One from profile that I later showed my daughter, since she was in the picture, hidden!
ReplyDeleteWow, what a story. So glad you had that cellar and that your neighbors watched out for you. Could you hear it pounding and roaring overhead?
ReplyDeleteIt's almost too awful this year to believe how devastating the weather is. I've never known another like it.
So happy to know that you did graduate. :)
Celia, what a nail biting experience. When I was 11, we had an earthquake in New Hampshire that rattled the furniture and our nerves simply because NH does not have earthquakes. It was a bit unsettling.
ReplyDeleteNothing wrong with getting your degree at 30 and I'm proud of you. I got my 4 year degre from California Baptist University in 1995. I was 27.
Smiles
Steph
What a scary and wonderful story Celia. I'm proud of you.
ReplyDeleteGreat story. I love the opportunity to walk the stage 25 years later.
ReplyDeleteThe closest I come to relating to this is the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
I DO NOT want to go through that again.
skystne--I'm glad you were never hit, too. I'm sure you're better acquainted with hurricanes. The difference is that you have time to get away from a hurrican--not so with a tornado. I know LA has had way too much happen--you don't need any more. Celia
ReplyDeleteKEENA--you turned around and covered the story? That's a real reporter for you. I grew up watching them. Driving between our town and Lubbock, we've seen several crossing the highway up ahead, and we just keep driving and watching. We lived in one house that sat on a rise, and we sat on lawnchairs and watched them dip up and down far away. You never get used to them. Celia
ReplyDeleteSarah--the Killeen area has had its share of bad storms and tornadoes. I'm glad you never experienced one! Celia
ReplyDeleteMaggie--you made me laugh! Actually, it was hard to resist, although by that time graduations were monstrous, like the tend to be. Plus I'd have to drive 300 miles and get a motel. Sounded like soooo much trouble. Celia
ReplyDeleteCYNTHIA--that's the thing about tornadoes--you have no time to get away. And they're unpredictable. Snowstorm? You know where it's going to be. Celia
ReplyDeleteP.L.--what???? The owner locked you out of the storm cellar? That's criminal? And you laid in a ditch with your baby? I'm outraged. That old man should be locked in his cellar for good.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you knew what to do.
Sarah McNeal said she lived in Kileen in 1970. Celia
CAROLINE--I thought you might remember that tornado. You know all about them, even from North Texas. Yeah...I wish I'd been with P.L. We'd make that old man wish he hadn't done that!Celia
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ginger--I can't believe the one in MA, either. I'm sure the resident were stunned. It seems Tornado Alley is moving north and east. Celia
ReplyDeleteMONA--that is a funny story about your graduation. Sounds like you just made it! Celia
ReplyDeleteMISS MAE--oh, the noise is the most frightening thing, because at night, you can't see the storm--just hear it. We were very afraid of the storm cellar. The door was thick iron, and heavy as lead. It took a strong man to open it. My husband was afraid we be down there and a lot of debris would fall on it and no one would find us. There were many nights--and days--we might have taken shelter, but we were too scared of it.
ReplyDeleteCelia
STEPH--oh, I'm thrilled I got my degree--the second one, I was forty.
ReplyDeleteEarthquakes scare me to death. See? It's all relative. I'd rather live here than California, thinking I'm safe from earthquakes. Like you learned, though, they can happen anywhere. Celia
Thank you, Calisa. Thanks for stopping by. Celia
ReplyDeleteLynne--as I said to Steph--earthquakes really, really scare me.
ReplyDeleteYes, I thought the gesture for us to go through a ceremony 25 years later was a wonderful idea. I found the newspaper article about it and lived it through the stories and photos. Celia
Celia,
ReplyDeleteI know I got in here a little late, but I have to comment. Great Story! The pictures were terrifing. So many toronados this year are hitting cities.
Ilona--oh, you're not late. Ileave a post up a few days. You see, I am a little lazy.
ReplyDeleteThanks, though, for coming by and leaving a message. I do appreciate it. Celia
I've never experienced a tornado or a hurricane - and hope I never have to, I would be scared witless! So glad we don't (usually!) get those extremes of weather here in the UK. We've had a few minor earth tremors, and occasionally there are bad floods in some places, but here 2 inches of snow in winter brings eveything to a standstill LOL.
ReplyDeleteSad that you 'missed' your graduation, though, Celia.