Day Twenty-Six: Whirlwind
The expected storm does not break until just before dawn. Overnight, the temperature has dropped nearly thirty degrees to 4C (40F), heralding intense weather. It begins with torrential rains that send anyone who does not have a lean-to to sleep beneath diving for cover, whether into one of the completed lean-tos or into the trees and brush that circle two sides of the camp. As light dawns in the sky, it is pushed back by dark clouds, high winds and quarter-sized hail, and the air is filled with the panicked sounds of grazers lowing and running in circles and crashing through the brush to try to escape this torment. The fire has been extinguished by the downpour, which means that the creatures blunder through camp, as well.
As the storm front moves over the camp and then out over the grasslands and the heavy rain and hail end, a small group consisting of Clay, Payne, Jeannie and Milo takes advantage of the confusion to head North, where they will cross the lake in the light drizzle that remains of the storm and strike out on their own.
Out over the grasslands, the ominous path of the storm can be clearly seen: not one but two separate tornadoes can be glimpsed as the morning wears on, sweeping up everything in their path: trees, boulders, grazers. They are a terrifying sight, but fortunately they are headed away from the island, and eventually, as midday approaches, the rain completely stops and the winds recede. The sun emerges and the temperature stabilizes at a high of 13C (55F), although camp is still a sodden mess, and the fire needs to be re-lit... if anyone can find any dry wood.