We had a severe outburst of tornadoes in the area this week. The weather had been unusually warm and humid, beautiful spring days filled with sunshine and occasional rains. Then a major cold front pushed through the hot, damp air and triggered massive thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Some areas were hit with twisters so powerful that the damage resembled what hurricane Katrina had done. More than two dozen people died with searches still going on. The effect was stunning. We do get tornadoes this time of year, but not normally to this extent or power.

The weathermen were on the air for hour after hour that night as new bands of storms fired up and spawned more funnel clouds. They kept marveling at the strength of the storms on their computerized screens and the size of the hook echoes, increasingly worried as report after report came in and large areas went under curfews and highway closures as rescue personnel struggled to free the injured and transport them to hospitals. The weatherman who had to report that the dead were being left to be picked up later when the needs of the living swamped the available rescue crews was visibly shaken.

It was well after midnight when the final storm bands passed out of the viewing area and they made their final wrap-up to turn control over to the night news crews. The reporters in the field continued to send in reports, anxiously waiting for the dawn to get a better view of the overall damage.

The morning revealed the full horror of what had happened in the roaring winds of the night. Dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed, their owners mourning over lost and injured family and friends while they picked at the wreckage for precious family possessions largely scattered afar. A number of sheriffs and other local law enforcement officers were visibly tearful as they reported on the fatalities and injuries among the people in their care.

The governor of our state has declared wide areas as disaster areas, but the federal government has been slow in its response. There had already been swaths of tornadoes in the states to the north of us earlier, and this outbreak followed closely on their heels. There were some discreet mentions of the forecasts of the hurricane season when comparisons to Katrina's damage were made. It doesn't look like it will be a good hurricane season, either.

We had mostly heavy rain and some winds in this city. Much of the worst activity passed either to the south or north of us. One major band came through but we had only heavy winds and thunderstorms from it. The storms moved so quickly that they spread their rain over a long strip instead of concentrating it in one deluged area. The rest was lighter rain for most of that night.

The garden didn't suffer much damage, only some fallen branches. Most of what would blow down had come down in earlier storms. The daffodils have finished and the yard is spangled with purple violets and the start of the azalea bloom. A small red-flowered one burst into full bloom after the storm, but only a few blooms have opened on the others so far. We're still hoping that the late hard freeze didn't kill their buds. The dark purple tulip magnolia bloomed fairly well, but the earlier light purple one had hardly any blooms.

The roses have survived and are putting out new foliage, and the fig tree is leafing out nicely. The repeat-blooming irises are green and growing well as are the swamp irises and the day lilies. The yard is getting shaggy and the neighbors have already started mowing their yards.

So far not much is up in the vegetable garden. The fall snow peas produced another small handful of pods, but they are dying back. A few new snow peas have sprouted around the bases of the wire cages I set in the rows to hold them up, so we'll soon have more green things up in the sunshine. The new tomato seedlings are up in their flat and look pretty good so far.

I packed another sweater box and started the first one for the next box. I got caught up with the patterns for the lace cotton dishtowels, then another one was posted. I've got that one started, too. It is getting too nice to craft indoors when the weather is settled between storms. The lengthening days are beckoning a return to the garden again. I may compromise and take the crafts to the terrace swing, frisky cats permitting.