Rather like Matty, I got caught with my pants down so to speak this afternoon, luckily all is well. Our weather was to be uneventful today, with perhaps a shower or two. We had oppressive humidity, and little wind. We had over 3 inches of rain yesterday, so I thought I would build some fence today as there was little else I could do. I have an 18 year old helping me some this summer, I left him to work on the fence for a while and went to walk my electric fence around the sows. I have a creek to the west of the sows and saw it getting black on the other side, but didn't think too much about it, I heard a little thunder and figured it was just a typical summer afternoon thunderstorm coming up. About my second clap of thunder I got a cell call from the Undersheriff wanting to know if I saw any funnel clouds, he had reports of one not far from where I was. I got up on a rise and looked, I could see what might be a small funnel, but it didn't worry me much, I told him as much. He said he was headed our way, I called the kid helping me to ask him if he had seen anything, yes, he had. I drove up to a higher hill to watch, I still didn't see anything, then another fellow called me to say they could see a funnel from town, about that time Caleb who helps me said his uncle called and said there was a tornado on the ground near where we were, I could still see nothing but sent Caleb home. I then called the Undersheriff, while we were talking the NWS put us in a tornado warning, and still I saw nothing. My wife then called, she was in Emporia and they were blowing the sirens, as soon as she got off the phone another friend called, he was coming through the next town south, Olpe, and they were blowing the sirens there, and he said he could see the tornado hanging out of the clouds, by golly I still couldn't see anything, my wife now informs me she saw one as well.
I finally looked straight above me, there was I guess one hanging right over me, although it is hard to make one out looking straight up at a black cloud. There was a little swirl, but it was really hard to see much.
I did tell Caleb in the future, sighting a funnel cloud over the farm is noteworthy enough to run for cover, and perhaps alert me to the fact, as I might also like to take cover.
Grandpa told me that 30 or 40 years ago he was fixing fence and a tornado came across the river, lifted up and went right over him dumping water on him. I always wondered how that could be, to get caught that much by surprise. I guess I know now.
There are a few pics from this afternoon as well as from a few other storms on www.kvoe.com the Emporia radio station website.