Imagine watching a tornado come straight at you and you have no place to run or hide. What would you do?

A father and son experienced something they will remember – forever!

My story begins at a fishing tournament. On April 16, 2011 at approximately 3:39, a special weather feed on a nearby cell phone broadcasted a tornado warning for our exact location.

High winds and showers were in the forecast for a good part of the day. My son and I arrived at noon to help setup a small tent and handle registration. The tournament was not cancelled. It was still on by popular demand from some of the most dedicated catfish anglers found anywhere.

Around 3:00 PM, we started feeling the winds pickup. We sat under a 10′ x 10? tent attached to our 12′ x 6′ boxed-in trailer. This protected us a little from the wind, but as we peered across the lake, trees on the other side were starting to disappear. A mountain high wall of white water slowly moved towards us. In fact, the lake started to turn white.

The sky around us turned solid white very fast. Heavy rain began to fall. Everyone scattered to their vehicles and went inside the trailer for protection. However, three of us did not get the chance to make our move. We ran out of time as the tent collapsed on top of us.

Heavy winds blew the rain sideways at us. My son looked through a hole in the tent and spotted the tornado on the ground at the other side of the lake. He said, “This is going to be bad.” I made my move to look through another nearby hole. What I saw was a huge white Halo, swirling in front of me.

The tornado ripped through trees and blew debris across the lake. It was approaching at a very slow speed and we could clearly see the funnel spinning on the ground. However, when the tornado made its way to the water, it changed form.

The tornado quickly became a funnel cloud. The high winds from the center sucked up lake water and mixed it with rain. Our lips tasted bitter with mud. We could see the funnel cloud coming straight at us. We knew time was running out in order to make it to safety, so we all decided to stay put.

Winds were brutal at this point, blowing around 90 miles an hour. It took all our strength to hold down what remained of the tent. We used the canopy as a shield to protect us from the blowing rain and heavy lightening.

Suddenly, the winds blew directly down on us. It felt like were being pushed to the ground. The force of the rain, wind, and barometric pressure from the system caused us not hear each other’s screaming.

As the eye passed directly over us, the heavy winds slowed dramatically. We stared straight up into the eye of the tornado as it passed directly over our position. The northeast side of the outer wall blew by overhead first.

The twister had a black color to its spinning ceiling. Huge white clouds inside and outside looked like a huge washing machine tub on spin cycle. The size appeared to be 150 yards wide at the top, and 50 yards wide and the bottom.

As soon as the eye passed, the other side of the twister approached us with even faster winds. Except this time, the winds were blowing the other direction. This forced us to reposition ourselves and hold on again. Heavier downpours flooded the parking lot with three inches of water.

Approximately one minute after the eye passed, the funnel cloud quickly changed back to a tornado. Its spiral cloud touched down in the trees on the other side of the parking and moved on throughout the area.

Three minutes later, the sun was back out without a cloud in the sky. My son and I looked and each other with amazement. We asked, “What just happened?” I said, “We just looked up into the eye of an F1 Tornado and lived to tell about it. One of the most destructive forces of nature on the planet simply passed right over us.”

Fortunately, there were no injuries or major damages. All we lost was a small tent that saved our lives!

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Consumers increasingly expect more dollar value at the pump, but as we explore various techniques to get the best deal, it presents a huge change in purchase patterns. This means discrete shopping at its best.

It is no surprise that gas prices are having a big impact on consumers. They have become innovative minded and systematically search for ways to save money. In fact, more are setting a predetermined amount instead of filling up at the pump. Even gas for lawn equipment is purchased in a lower amount.

Another example can be found in small companies. They are purchasing vans to carpool office staff to and from work. Others are seen at the same gas station twice in one day to cap off their tank because of longer distances for travel. Uncertainty about the future of gas prices contributes to the shortest route possible.

Construction contractors are all riding together and service companies are planning routes that are more direct. Some companies have installed GPS to notify headquarters if the engine is idling too much, or on the road. Churches are buying small vans to pickup the elderly so they can attend services and meetings.

Truck stops are going silent. Truckers who travel long distances are required by law to rest for a certain period before heading back on the road. This means they are shutting off their trucks while resting, instead of letting the engine cool or build up continuous air pressure.

Recreation is experiencing change at a rapid pace. Anglers and boaters are not frequently spotted on the road. If so, trucks are packed with people and gear. Campgrounds in state and private parks are virtually empty. Community events and movie theaters are starting to see fewer participants.

In one small southern Virginia community where two gas stations are within seeing distance of each other, the larger gas station raises their price, so does the smaller one – within minutes. The smaller mom and pop station does not waste any time to make their move when they see the major chain station increase their price.

In one small Pennsylvania town, drivers with big SUVs, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Jaguars are seen pumping only three or four gallons into their tanks. These expensive models have warnings that signal the driver when the tank only gets down to a three or four gallon minimum.

Suppliers are playing a game and its persuasive structure is full of profit yielding potential. Consumers have gone through an unprecedented change, and their definition of unwanted quantifies a legitimate reason to become shrewd savers.

If everyone would go three days without purchasing gas, you would see prices fall. However, that is not going to happen. Change is very difficult and can be extremely tough for some people. The toughest thing about change is when it involves other people!

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