My dear friends,

I just got back from our summer cabin. This journey was supposed to be a relaxing holiday, but turned out to be something totally different. Me and mom were nearly killed.

2.50am on Friday,I woke up to mom's voice. I heard storm wind, heavy rain and thunder. I saw lightning flashes, although the bed room curtain was down. Mom turned the electricity off, and within a minute, we heard the loudest bang - the whole cabin was hit. For the next 20 to 30 minutes we were afraid, terrified and shaken. I prayed that God would keep us, our close ones and the cabin from harm's way, if possible. Mom was sure that the roof would collapse any moment. The storm went on and on and loud bangs, crashing sounds, thunder, wind and rain continued what seemed like a small eternity.

It was closer to 4am, when mom was sure that it was all over. My first thought was: I'm alive! We're alive! Mom dared to raise the curtain up. The first sight was scary: all we could see was fallen trees. The same story continued from all the windows, which were, all fine. Our wooden clock, which had been on dad's family for  a century, was hit and it was broken. One painting had fallen off and the door was hard to open (and close), but that was all that happened inside the cabin. The outside was a different story.

We went to the balcony. It was wet, all the stuff were flown away or somewhere else. Huge branches were all around and huge birch tree was laying on the roof. It wasn't the only one: the main cabin was hit by 5 huge birch tree all together and 9 more had just missed it. Neighbor's pine tree's parts were in front of the cabin.

There were 2 huge pine trees on the parking lot - on the very same spot where mom usually leaves our car. But the car was wet and dirty, but unharmed. 5 threes were on our path to parking lot, 2 more blocked our way to the road.

Our lawn was now filled trees, branches and leaves. Storage building got 4 trees, the outside rest room had one on top of it. Sauna cottage was, again, unharmed, but 4 trees had just missed it and one, which almost fell, but was still standing, would have destroyed it.

Right after the storm ch came to visit. I drank a can of energy drink and then I took 65 pictures with my mobile phone's camera for the insurance company at 5am. We had breakfast and went to see if our neighbors were alive at 7.30, and later most of them came to see our cabin and backyard. It was clear that our place was hit the hardest.

We called the same man who had helped us in the past with all kinds of building works. He called few men he knew and those fellows came to help us with their motor saws. We called the insurance company and I reported to Esa that we survived. Then mobile phone connections failed completely. The power was out and didn't return the whole time we were there.

The guys helped us with the trees from 2pm to 11.30 pm and they even got the fire department to help with two trees, which were most dangerous ones. The fire men looked at the cabin and asked me: "Is it true that nobody died?  That cabin was clearly properly build, because it would have collapsed like house of cards otherwise." They couldn't believe, that our car was also unharmed. They estimated that one of the trees weighted 300 kilos alone and there were 5 on the roof...

We worked hard on Friday and Saturday. We managed to get all the trees away from the roof and cleared a path to sauna cabin. There's still a lot to do, but this is a good start. There's a silver lining to every story: we will have enough of wood to warm up sauna's oven and the fire place even for my grand kids!

We were truly blessed, protected and witnessed series of miracles on Friday morning, that's all I can say. We came so close of dying that it's clear that me and mom both are still meant to do a lot of things. I still have lack of sleep and after shock is going on and my head's been acting up the whole day. It's no wonder... Luckily I've been able to sleep, because on Friday evening, all I could see was falling trees each time I closed my eyes.

The storm got a name Asta. It's a woman's name and on that Friday all Astas were celebrating their name day. From now on, that name will remind me of Friday, July 30th, 2010. I will never forget that storm. Our cabin's roof and door, the rest room and the pier can be prepared, the lawn will look like a lawn after a couple of years, but what else the storm did, that is much more difficult to tell. I do know that my faith in God has been strong, but it's now much stronger. I know that I'm physically and mentally much more stronger than I could have imagined. We know which neighbors and cabin friends we can rely and trust on.

So far, my reactions have been very practical: trees and branches are down, let's move them and so on. Within time the emotional reaction will appear. I've been too busy and too shocked to cry, but I saw macho men wiping tears when they saw the destruction. I've never been that scared in my life, but then again, Asta storm was the worst storm which has ever hit the area where our cabin is located. The locals, who have lived nearly 80 years, told us that they have never seen anything like it. I can agree and we all have one wish: that nothing similar will ever happen.

Wishing you all PF days,
Sanna

WOW..... :o :o

So glad to know you and yours are well and unharmed.  The strength of nature in her fury can humble us all. 

Again, I'm glad to know you are all just fine.  Property can be replaced.  People...not so much.

<big hugs>

edit due to typo

Oh Sandie!!! [smiley=hug.gif] Hugs and prayers of thanksgiving!!!

Joe

Wow - that is simply incredible to have gone through all that and for everyone to survive in one piece is simply amazing.

People are not replaceable, pretty much everything else can be in time.

At least you'll not be short of firewood for the next decade or two!

Sandy, so glad you are all safe! Cabins are easier to repair than people and a lot less worrisome.  Things like this make you appreciate the little things in life just a bit more.

Glad you're safe.  Take it easy and schedule another vacation in a calmer area!!

Good heavens, Sanna.   :o  Glad to hear that you all are safe and unharmed.  Damage can be repaired...

All the best,

George

Glad to know your cabin is built VERY well Sanna!  Happy to know you and your mom made it through safe.  I can just imagine how frightened you both were!

*HUGS*

Good grief Sanna!  I'm sorry for your devastation but happy to hear that you and your Mom are ok.

Wow that's one holiday to remember!  So sorry that you went through such a terrifying ordeal but so happy to hear that you and your mum are safe and sound! 

[smiley=hug.gif]

Hope your head starts easing up real soon.
Take care,

Kate

A real nightmare. 

Wow too, and also glad your cabin was so sturdy.    

OMG Sanna!!!!! I am so relieved you & your Mom are ok..

[smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif] [smiley=hug.gif]
Glad you and your mom are okay, as well as everyone else in the area.  How scary!!! *hugs*

Scary thing and I'm so glad you and yours came through it in good shape. START PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGESTART PRINTPAGEMultimedia File Viewing and Clickable Links are available for Registered Members only!!  You need to or END PRINTPAGE

By the way, find a lottery somewhere and play it........

Charlie

[smiley=eek5.gif] That's so scary. Sanna!  Glad to hear you and your mom are ok. 

[smiley=hug.gif] Beth

I'm so glad you are both well.  I would have been so much the less without a Sanna in my life!

Jerrt

Yikes!!!! Scary stuff Sanna... nature can be so terrifying when it acts unruly... so very glad that you are both well.

Tony

Sanna,

I am so Glad that you and your Mom are both okay..

You both had one heck of a time... but at the same time, you are both very Blessed.

Luv/Hugs
Peace & Blessings
Ruthie

Thank you for your kind words. :)

I just hope that the new storm which is predicted to hit Finland tonight will miss me, I'm not quite sure if I could handle another one like Asta so soon.

What comes to paper work, we're getting there, and mom returns there next week with the insurance folks. The same two men will be arriving then, too, to help with the trees.

I feel like staying at home. Vacation somewhere safe would be nice, but I don't think I can escape it all just yet. My imagination is way too vivid at times. I know that I'm not myself yet.

I used to be so glad that I saw trees when I look outside, but not this moment. They remind me that any one of them call fall and damage things. I know that this too will pass, but I hope it's sooner than later. It's still early days.

It's good that we're hosting house warming party shortly - I have something else to think about! :)

Thank you for the hugs & vibes as well. I can feel them and I appreciate them a lot. :)

Charlie, I do play the lottery time to time. Aguess this is the good time to try my luck once again. :)

Lots of PF days,
Sanna

WOW!
Glad you guys made it out of that safe and sound. :)

sandie99 wrote on Aug 3^rd, 2010 at 11:16am:

Charlie, I do play the lottery time to time. Aguess this is the good time to try my luck once again. :)

You already won the jackpot last Friday night!

You're right, Mike. :)

Ever since Asta, there has been two other storms and thunder storm last night, which included more lightnings than normally appear during one summer month. It's been one exceptional summer, weather-wise and more storms are predicted to arrive.

I know that many of you deal with tornados and hurricanes etc. every year, but this is new for us.  For the past 5 days I've felt more normal, more like myself. I actually laughed for the first time since the storm on Thursday.

But I would have been back to my panicking self - the one I was right after the storm and until last Thursday - if I had been alone during last night's storm without my boyfriend. His support has been priceless, and another winning ticket in life's lottery.

Mom is back checking the damages. I just hope that the other storms which followed Asta, have not been doing more. I've been wondering why that storm hurt me so badly. I know now: the cabin used to be my safe haven, the one place where I gathered my strength in.

Now, when the storm hit and wrecked that one place I felt completely safe, I've lost a big part of that safety and security. I've gained a small amount of it back, but I don't think I can go back to the cabin and feel the same way I used to. It's going to take a long time before I can feel safe there. If ever.

But I haven't asked "why" once. I usually ask that over and over again, just like I did when my father died and when ch arrived. This time I don't need to. So many others around here have been hit by the three storms that it has pretty much touched everyone's family, friends or co-workers. Kindness towards strangers have been truly tested, but many of my fellow Finns did what I did: went to check if neighbors were alive, well and needed something. Maybe that is one blessing which came out of this situation.

Lots of hugs & PF days to you all,
Sanna

Sanna, once again glad that you and Mom are ok. A video of the storm front has surfaced, all I can say is OMG!!!! :o
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