---------------David Horsey, Seattle Post Intelligencer

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Auntie Em!! Auntie Em!!
First off, let me say that we got off easy compared to what people to our south have gone through. That said, things got very exciting around here yesterday afternoon and evening.

The first tornado warning was issued around 3 PM for the area around Remington, VA (that's where the accompanying photo was taken). Remington also happens to be about 15 miles from me. One of the local stations aired a video that a homeowner there took of the approaching twister. You can hear the guy's wife screaming in the background as he stands in his front door taping it. Then right about the time the house across the street started coming apart, the couple decided to get the hell down into the basement. They made it just before their own house was demolished. This of course raises a question: Why do some morons insist on standing out in the open with a camera when nature's full fury is bearing down upon them? Apparently, this is a rather common trait (and there are comments there despite the "0 comments" line). On the other hand, I've never personally witnessed a tornado, so I'm not sure HOW I would react.... Aside from shit my shorts, I mean.

Things quickly went downhill from there, and for the next several hours there were multiple warnings in effect at any given time.

Other twisters hit a number of other areas to the west and south of DC. One of the more dramatic ones was a funnel cloud that passed over Dulles Airport. You know how they always tell you to stay away from windows during a tornado?Well, I don't know how many of you are familiar with the main terminal at Dulles, but trying to avoid a window in that place is like trying to avoid a carbomb in Baghdad.

Needless to say, there was a mad scramble to get down to the lower level of the building.

After narrowly missing the airport, the twister did finally touch down. This was actually a good thing, since it hit the AOL office complex a few miles away and damaged several buildings. One can only conclude that Ivan was not a fan of wildly overpriced dialup internet service.

Things finally began to settle down by 9 PM, and today has turned out to be rather nice--and a helluva lot calmer.

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---------------Walt handelsman, Newsday