Tornado Damage 

Range 5 had its cover smashed.

Range 4 was covered with peices of the cover from range 3.

Range 6 and the storage trailer got hit.

Range 7 lost a table, a concrete table.

Range 7, everything east and north is gone.

Range office windows blown out.

Looking east from range 7.  The woods are gone for a half mile.  The tornado's edge brushed the rifle range.

Lower parking lot and entrance to the lower ranges.

The house is missing a bunch of shingles, the vents are bent up by debris, the skirting is gone, the ceilings inside have new cracks from the pressure, and the cover I have used to keep my bike and boat out of the weather is wadded up into a ball.  The house has been moved from its original spot.  Several tiers have been moved when the house was lifted by the tornado.  The tie downs did their job.  Now one side is tight and the other side loose.  My boat was picked up and moved about 20 feet.  One amazing thing, the goldwing did not get a scratch. 

Its a pretty big mess but we are knocking it out.  Most of the downed trees have been cut and pulled out.  The office has new windows and fresh paint.  The crushed covers on ranges 4 and 5 have been been fixed up and all the ranges are open for use.  The cover on range 3 is gone and will be replaced.  The house will get a new roof and skirting.  Some sheetrock inside was damaged and will be replaced.  New outbuildings will replace the crushed ones.  It will come togther in a few more weeks and look like new money. 

Even though we took a hit, it could have been much worse.  Hundreds of houses in Pleasant Grove were erased.  It easily could have hit us harder.   Here are a few pics of the neighborhoods in Pleasant Grove....

This street used to be lined with $200,000 houses.  All gone.  Just rubble remains.

That is a dryer stuck in the window.

I now have a healthy respect for the power tornados possess.  There is literally no safe place above ground in the path of a tornado.  I saw "safe" places crushed or ripped away.  I have a storm shelter in my future for my family.  This is the third tornado to hit Pleasant Grove in the last 30 years.  That is one about every 10 years.  The F5 in 1998 passed within a quarter mile of here.  This one actually crossed the property and was within 200 feet of my house.  A storm shelter is good insurance.