Wow! with pics

Damn........

What all was in quarantine... if you don't mind me asking.

I've never been through anything like that and can't imagine what it would be like to instantly lose so much without any choices in what you lose. Damage to the house is particularly hard to take as that is what your parents have worked so hard for their whole lives.

It does look like the roof lifted and possibly the house or garage area actually twisted on the foundation a bit (the structural crack from the garage to the roof is pretty big). Please make sure you review your and your parents insurance policy declaration pages carefully, specifically the part that says 'exclussions' and be carefull of the wording you use when talking to the ins. co. and adjuster (depending on your carrier, most calls are recorded and what you say sticks even if you misspoke. Trust me, I did insurance claims for 5 yrs). Good luck and I hope it's a painless and quick rebuilding for you and your family!

Originally Posted by garweft

What all was in quarantine... if you don't mind me asking.

Matt,

I lost about 40 female ball pythons, my low end breeders (mostly normals, a few pastels, and two spiders). Anything over 1500gr that was female was in the Eastern side of the barn. I also lost my 2 stacks of boa breeders, 08 Sunglow (m), 06 2 het Albino (f), 07 snow (f), 08 ghost (m), 06 Albino (f), 07 Snow (m), and my 07 Anery female

Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

It does look like the roof lifted and possibly the house or garage area actually twisted on the foundation a bit (the structural crack from the garage to the roof is pretty big). Please make sure you review your and your parents insurance policy declaration pages carefully, specifically the part that says 'exclussions' and be carefull of the wording you use when talking to the ins. co. and adjuster (depending on your carrier, most calls are recorded and what you say sticks even if you misspoke. Trust me, I did insurance claims for 5 yrs). Good luck and I hope it's a painless and quick rebuilding for you and your family!

The last time I saw an adjuster was in 1994. We STILL have yet to see the adjuster as well as the insurance people. While it frustrates me, my parents are just plain wore out from seeing the mess and dont fight with the insurers much. My parents hearts are broken but try to remain strong even though they just cant do anything but talk on the phone right now.

Oh my God, Dean!!!

So many animals gone!!!

Please don't think I'm weird, but if I were you, I'd take out a Lost Snakes ad in the local papers!! Herps are usually pretty resilient within certain parameters, and you never know!! Some of your snakes may have ended up in someone's yard not too far away!! Just have the people call you if they find any of them so you can go recover them!!

You never know. They may not all be permanently lost!

Originally Posted by SamanthaJane13

Oh my God, Dean!!!

So many animals gone!!!

Please don't think I'm weird, but if I were you, I'd take out a Lost Snakes ad in the local papers!! Herps are usually pretty resilient within certain parameters, and you never know!! Some of your snakes may have ended up in someone's yard not too far away!! Just have the people call you if they find any of them so you can go recover them!!

You never know. They may not all be permanently lost!

Donna, I cant even locate the 6x12 ft box trailer that was in front of the barn. I will be in the process of doing what you said but there really isnt much housing in this area. The people that live in the area are not around because they have no power. Most of them are in shelters or motels right now too.

Directly to the East of my parents house is a sq. mile pasture that I am hoping I can get into to go look but the power lines are still in it. As the tornado traveled East of my parents house, it got worse. The town a couple miles to the East was leveled. The tornado basically started a mile west of my parents home and leveled everything for about 20 miles up to I-40. I am hoping the larger snakes could have survived it but I just cant see that they did.

I should have anchored the racks into the cement somehow. Hindsight is always 20/20 though. In a way, I sort of feel like a dumbass through this whole thing. If we werent trying to refinance the house, the snakes would have been at mine, in my garage where I was in the process of turning it into a snake room. A lot of things I could have done differently to protect them and I didnt. A part of me just didnt think about it because tornadoes dont hit Norman.

This images is the one I keep seeing that is crazy. The house right next door is left untouched....

Matt, that is the Trumbells garage, my parents next door neighbor. At least their home didnt get hit too bad.

Originally Posted by StrictlyExotics

Donna, I cant even locate the 6x12 ft box trailer that was in front of the barn. I will be in the process of doing what you said but there really isnt much housing in this area. The people that live in the area are not around because they have no power. Most of them are in shelters or motels right now too.

Directly to the East of my parents house is a sq. mile pasture that I am hoping I can get into to go look but the power lines are still in it. As the tornado traveled East of my parents house, it got worse. The town a couple miles to the East was leveled. The tornado basically started a mile west of my parents home and leveled everything for about 20 miles up to I-40. I am hoping the larger snakes could have survived it but I just cant see that they did.

I should have anchored the racks into the cement somehow. Hindsight is always 20/20 though. In a way, I sort of feel like a dumbass through this whole thing. If we werent trying to refinance the house, the snakes would have been at mine, in my garage where I was in the process of turning it into a snake room. A lot of things I could have done differently to protect them and I didnt. A part of me just didnt think about it because tornadoes dont hit Norman.

Hell-I didn't realize your family lives in such a sparsely populated area. I so hope you're able to get some of the snakes back, though.

I do realize how tornadoes act.

We had an F1 come through a Buffalo suburb about 20 years ago, and we were about 30 feet from it as it swirled between two restaurants. I had seen it forming over a school across the street and told my family to get in Perkin's and get to a booth and under the table while I told the manager to get customers away from the windows. He said they'd lost power and weren't serving any more customers, and I told him to look out the window. Everyone got back from the windows, but we were all fascinated by the twister dancing through the parking lot. It picked up, rolled down the middle of the street, wiped out a Putt-Putt and then took part of the roof from another restaurant...which we'd almost decided to eat at that day.

Thank God we were in the mood for waffles!!!


http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/torlsr.htm

Sorry for your loss Dean, I am just glad no one was hurt physically, sending thoughts and prayers your way bro, I do hope you manage to find atleast a few of your snakes.