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Area resident Ed Sass was at Adventureland when this funnel cloud appeared on a day that saw many communities in central Iowa sustain serious tornado damage.[/caption]
Forty years ago this month, the Tornado roller coaster made its debut at the Adventureland amusement park near Des Moines.
Many local residents who visited the park can recall seeing or even wearing T-shirts with the message: "I survived the tornado."
For Shellsburg resident Ed Sass and his family, surviving the tornado at Adventureland took a scary new twist on Thursday, when, while parked in the Adventureland campground, Sass saw and photographed a giant funnel cloud. Soon, tornadoes would be damaging dozens of structures in Marshalltown, Pella and Bondurant.
Just four miles from the site of the Bondurant tornado that damaged or destoroyed a dozen houses, Sass said there was not enough rain at Adventureland to get the ground wet, and very little wind.
"We really lucked out. If it had been four miles south, it would have been a different story," said Sass, who adds that his two sons did indeed survive riding the Tornado roller coaster.
Sass was not the only local resident who saw the funnel cloud from Adventureland.
VS teacher Shelley Haisman said her son Nolan was riding the Tornado with some friends when he saw the tornado twisting north of the park.
And yes, says Sass, they still sell "I Survived the Tornado" shirts there.
Area resident Ed Sass was at Adventureland when this funnel cloud appeared on a day that saw many communities in central Iowa sustain serious tornado damage.[/caption]
Forty years ago this month, the Tornado roller coaster made its debut at the Adventureland amusement park near Des Moines.
Many local residents who visited the park can recall seeing or even wearing T-shirts with the message: "I survived the tornado."
For Shellsburg resident Ed Sass and his family, surviving the tornado at Adventureland took a scary new twist on Thursday, when, while parked in the Adventureland campground, Sass saw and photographed a giant funnel cloud. Soon, tornadoes would be damaging dozens of structures in Marshalltown, Pella and Bondurant.
Just four miles from the site of the Bondurant tornado that damaged or destoroyed a dozen houses, Sass said there was not enough rain at Adventureland to get the ground wet, and very little wind.
"We really lucked out. If it had been four miles south, it would have been a different story," said Sass, who adds that his two sons did indeed survive riding the Tornado roller coaster.
Sass was not the only local resident who saw the funnel cloud from Adventureland.
VS teacher Shelley Haisman said her son Nolan was riding the Tornado with some friends when he saw the tornado twisting north of the park.
And yes, says Sass, they still sell "I Survived the Tornado" shirts there.
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