Correction: We're mostly OK

Our next-door neighbor had a contractor out to look over storm damage this afternoon, about the time Eric came home from work. Eric asked him to have a look around our place and there is more damage than we thought: A hole in the siding we missed, a dozen cuts in the hot tub cover, dented downspouts and gutters, damage to the roof (the only critical damage is over the porch and the garage, thank goodness), and dents in the heat pump that will hamper its efficiency over time. We've already called the insurance company but it will be a week or two before we get an appraiser out here. They've had a lot of calls from this area and are naturally giving precedent to the people with severe roof damage or no roof. We're fine with that; there's no critical damage here. Also, our deductible is only $50 more than it would be to replace the hot tub cover. This is why we have an emergency fund.

We're OK

In case anyone was concerned, we came through the storms yesterday a lot better than some in our town did. There are homes a few miles from here--hundred year old farm houses, and some new construction--that took heavy damage from the tornadoes that touched down. We have two pieces of siding to replace, and they're really only cracked. The cars have a couple new dents; golf ball size hail will do that. Oddly, though, I have several Aqua Globes in the garden, and none of them were broken. The excitement lasted less than a half hour. An hour or so after the first tornado siren went off, we were sitting down to dinner.

Thank goodness we weren't camping.