u/Mundane-Coffee-2921

Context: I'm 20, not too long ago my father abandoned his youngest children. Ages: 14, 12, 6. My mother and I are always working but when it comes to watching the kids it's usually me because my schedule is less chaotic. I cook for them, get them ready for school etc. My mother isn't absent though, she does those things when she has the time, which is understandable.

Now the other day we had a tornado warning. We live in Illinois so this is standard for Spring. My mother took a nap and I was in my room, looking for a check. A few minutes later I came out into the living room and only saw my 6 yo sister sitting alone. When the two adults aren't in the room, the teens watch the baby, that's just how it is. So I was mad that they weren't watching her. I looked in their rooms, but couldn't find them. I didn't want to wake my mother because she had just got home from work. I looked outside and it was incredibly windy and storming, the rain was so intense you couldn't see five feet in front of you. Along with the tornado warning, I got worried. I called my brother, he answered. I asked where they were, he said they had decided, without permission, to go out downtown...during this storm and possible tornado! I told him and his sister to get home immediately and that they better walk through the front door in 20 minutes. He said okay, I hung up. I was pretty pissed off but tried to stay calm, because I knew where they were now. 30 minutes go by, no answer. I called them back, no answer. I get worried again since this storm is the same, if not worse. I called multiple times for over 10 minutes, finally an answer. My brother said they were trapped in a dollar store down town because the storm was too crazy. I told him to stay there because I'll drive and get them, I didn't know what else I could do. He said okay and hung up. I woke my mom up, told her about the situation and said I'll be back with the kids. I got in the van and sped like a maniac down an invisible road to the downtown area to find them. I went into the dollar stores and didn't find them in any of them. I was confused and scared. I got back on the road, couldn't find them anywhere and they wouldn't answer my calls anymore. I got home, getting ready to call the police, which I hate to do because I just don't like cops. But just as I was about to call the cops, I see a strangers car pull into my driveway. This woman had my siblings in her car. They jumped out, I yelled at them to get inside. They later explained that this woman offered a ride after we hung up and they just forgot to tell me. They asked me if they weren't in trouble 😵‍💫 I remember all I said was "Nuh uh, you two are fucked." I ended up grounding them to their rooms for the rest of the night, I didn't take their phones or anything, I just didn't want to talk to them for a while because of how worried they made me. They cried because I yelled at them and they said I hated them. I tried to explain that me yelling at them was because I love them and didn't want them to get themselves killed. But they are still mad. Was I too hard on them?