13th Anniversary for an Unlucky Day in Arkansas
By: News Staff
Updated: January 22, 2013
Monday marked an unlucky anniversary for Arkansas. It was 13 years ago that a string of 56 tornadoes touched down in the state, the most seen in a single day.
Addison Golden (7), Grace Kreulen (6) and Olivia Kreulen (6), weren't around on January 21st, 1999, when a tornado marched through Little Rock.
"We weren't born yet," Grace offered. "It was a long time ago."
But the kids got a front row seat to the infamous tornado at the Museum of Discovery's Tornado Alley Theater, a surround sound experience simulating a tornado with special lighting, sound and actual news reports on the tornado.
"It was kind of creepy and kind of sad," Olivia said, "because people were hurt."
"It was really scary because a tree fell down," Grace said.
Addison, the oldest of the three, kept her cool. "It didn't scare me as much, but it was a little scary," she said.
The girls' mother, Heather Kreulen, was old enough to remember the tornado. Kreulen was a new nurse in 1999, driving to Arkansas Children's Hospital.
"The clouds were terrible," Kreulen said.
Kreulen says she was too busy getting patients to safety to worry about the tornado, and had no idea it was ripping up homes and neighborhoods a few blocks away.
"Hearing that it was so near us, and all the damage that was done, I felt very lucky that we were all okay," Kreulen said.
Verlon Jeffries was also at work when the tornado crushed her home on 28th Street. It also destroyed two of her neighbors' homes.
"We had to totally rebuild our home," Jeffries recalled. "It was horrible because I didn't know where my kids were at that time. I was devastated trying to find them."
Jeffries' family survived the storm. Lucky?
"I was blessed," the mother said. "I was blessed."
The National Weather Service says 56 tornadoes hit Arkansas on January 21st, 1999, claiming eight lives. In the chaotic aftermath, communities rolled up their sleeves and rebuilt with the help of volunteers around the state.
Addison, Grace and Olivia have experienced a few tornadoes in their day.
"Oh yes," Grace affirmed.
"Yeah," Olivia added.
"Many times," Addison added.
But the simulation at the Museum of Discovery is as close as they ever want to get.
"I wanted to scream," Grace admitted.
"It's creepy," Olivia echoed.
