Jan 21--Thursday night
I think I have PTSS. My hands are shaky and my eyes are tearing. Wow, what a trip. I think we may be on the news tonight but you may not recognize us as we are covered in dirt.
From the beginning. --
We drove to Palm Springs on Sunday to meet Gayle, Dave and Gavin. We had planned on Disney but as you all probably know southern CA had a tornado, tons of rain, mud slides and the whole works. Disney closed early one day. Gayle called and they advised us not to come--you know it had to be bad.
Palm Springs had more rain the few days we were there then the average annual rain fall. But that didn't stop us, we had a good time. Always Plan B. We met Dave's grandpa Bill and his wife Irene. What fun people! We enjoyed them. They have a lovely home and are living retirement to the fullest.
We headed back to Tucson on this morning, Thursday. Gayle and family are staying until Saturday.
Thursday was forecast to be the stormiest, rainiest day. I am not sure it could get rainer. We did not leave till the sun was up, no I mean daylight. No sun! Many streets were closed because of flooding and rain, rain and more rain. We drove through some very deep water in Palm Springs to the freeway. Little did we know that was the best part of the trip.
Then came the wind and sideways rain. Sideway rain, mile after mile, after mile, after mile of sideways rain. A wind gust whipped the wipers off the car windshield. Well, they did stay attached to the car but the driver's side wiper, wiped out about 4 inches further than there was wind shield. After that we ran them on low with hopes they would stay attached to the car and do some good. Our car is 12 years old and has 185,000 miles. It won't take much to total this car. The new tires save us as they doubled the value of the car. We assume it is totaled but John may be able to fix it with junk yard parts. More wind/rain and more wind/rain.
We change drivers every hour because it is such a bitch driving.
We are all most to Casa Grande, AZ, about 50 some miles from home and the rain stops. The wind keeps a blowin'. Maybe harder. I drive into a dust storm. We've never been in one and thought for awhile this would be out last one. I hope to never be in another. I am driving 70 mph and all the sudden visibility is about 1 1/2 car lengths. I am slowing down as quickly as I can and John is yelling (yes, yelling) SLOW DOWN. I am not to upset yet as I can see the center line--until I see cars stopped in front of me all over the road. I never dreamed cars would stop in the middle of the road. We still do not know if this was an accident or an accident waiting to happen. Did they just stop??? I steered through the middle and if we didn't have such big side mirrors, I woulda made it. When we hit, John screamed (yes ,screamed). I am steering through this mess and couldn't look at him. I had no idea what had happened to that side of the car. I imagined the glass broke and hitting him. I got stopped on the side of the road and he was pale but fine. The passenger side mirror is not looking good. No mirror and the frame is dangling. Not a scratch on that side of the car, as near as we can tell. Remember it was raining and we hit a dust storm while the car was wet. It is a mud ball.
The rule is:(and we just heard this after 3 people where killed in a dust storm in the same area we were in). In a dust storm get off the road turn off all lights and foot off the brake. Stay in the car buckled.
We sat there breathing (dust) for a minute. Then a semi comes along (too fast) and hits a car on the other side of the road and flips it around and around and around. The semi goes in the ditch and another follows it in. Both were going pretty fast. The car has people in it. The car driver tried to move it out of the road by driving and pushing. We dare not get out to help. At that moment I think I will never see my family again and I should call them and tell them I love them. I pick up the phone and the thought strikes me, Where are the police? So, sorry kids no last phone call. I called 911 and believe we were the 1st call. Cars are stopping and hitting all around us. Some we can't see because the dust is so thick, just the noise. It was like bumper cars in an amusement park. The pictures are in the previous blog. John is trying to convince me to drive slowly out of there. It wasn't an easy task. Then a propane truck pulls up behind us--that did it. I drove, slowly out of it.
At the very next gas station, I stop and we discover the brake lights and turn signals don't work. John got the brake lights working, but still no signal lights. He drove the rest of the way home with incident. What the hell could happen? Oh there were tornado warnings in our area. The 1st time ever for tornado warning in Tucson. All the way home the frame of the side mirror clanged against the side window. We are shell shocked.
We left our phone number with the highway patrol and were trying to recall the whole thing in case we are ever questioned. Neither of us know what we hit with the mirror, what color any car was. It did happen mighty fast.
Oh and now the the car is totaled with the wipers, mirror and signal lights gone.
Thank God we are home safe but maybe not to sound.
Jan 22
I feel better this morning except for the dust in my nose and throat. I am allergic to dust. I am very thankful to be home! John is out trying to get the signal lights to work.