Friday morning about 7:30 I headed north for the third try to photograph one of the historic courthouses (I'll give you more on that in a few days). The local weatherman had predicted we would probably have some sun in the morning hours and possibly more rain in the afternoon. I checked the weather forecast for where I was traveling and got the same information. Finally a day with just cloudy skies - sounded good to me!
The trip is about 150 miles one way (just a short trip in Texas), and four miles from my destination I drove into the scene above. Two miles further I hit rains so blinding that if there been a shoulder on the road I might have pulled over, but with all this rain there is no way I'm going to get off pavement for fear of not being to get back on. The warnings about driving into water are very similar about driving into tall grass when you have no idea how deep it is or how soggy it is under the grass. I did get my photo (I think!) after a bit of waiting for the rain to clear. On the way home I encountered a much larger rainstorm to the point that I could barely see anything around me. It was one of those teeth-grinding, steering-wheel-gripping experiences.
I arrived and, anxious to see my photos after a 300-mile trip, sat down at the computer. Five minutes later the power went off. No warning, no rain, no winds, no nothing. Just the switch got flipped! Three hours later I'm sitting outside drenched in Off swatting mosquitos. I finally gave up and went to my aunt and uncle's house about 25 miles away. Of course I learned in due time that the power came back on about an hour after my arrival but I had had a long day and I was pooped.
I woke up early, had a cup of coffee with my aunt, stopped by the grocery and picked up a couple of items, by the library and renewed an audio book and checked out a couple more and headed home. Then the rain began. Again. But my place was dry when I got home and after a short while the sun came out and it looked to be a beautiful day. The lawn was finally mowed after a month and some grasses that were about knee high were finally whacked and life was good. Then the iPhone alarm went off. I jolted out of my chair, thinking it was the smoke alarm and then realized it was my phone. Tornado warning - this area - take cover - now! Then TV switched to real time coverage and they say it will reach our little town in 24 minutes and then right about where I live in 32 minutes.
I was worried about a neighbor and couldn't' reach her or her son, who had just been here in the last hour mowing. I finally went down to their place and couldn't find them. I came home and she called saying they were up on the hill behind her house watching the storm. I decided I'd rather be with them rather than alone if we got blown away so I went back.
And this is what I saw! She is a police dispatcher and has take courses in weather pattern recognition and she was convinced she saw rotation in that white area in the middle of the photo. I wasn't so sure but I wasn't arguing. The storm pattern was originally said to be traveling to the northeast but magically it suddenly started moving to the southwest away from us. So, again, we're safe and sound here on Pine Hill, although it's raining again.
I heard on the news/weather last night (and I verified the story on the Internet today) that if there was a swimming pool the size of Texas there would be eight inches of water in it just from the rains this month! That's amazing. I don't remember the number of trillions of gallons they reported, but Texas has right at 267,000 squares within its boundaries, almost a thousand miles from northwest to southeast and another thousand miles from El Paso to the Louisiana border.
We are expected to start drying out after tomorrow and hopefully you won't be seeing all these terrible reports of people and homes being washed away by flood waters. Texas needs a break! We're ready for one. The same is true for Oklahoma, Arkansas, and many other places. I sign off as I hear torrential rains coming down outside! I'm ready to return to Arizona. A few dust storms and 110 degrees sounds pretty good right now!
16 comments:
CNN showed you will be dry for the next few days, hope they are right, that rain is now headed for the NE and Boston and NY... they said Dallas/fort worth had 17 inches of rain and Houston 14 inches... that is mind blowing about the pool the size of TX... so glad you are safe from your close encounters..
Those are fascinating weather phenomena. Of course only in images. I can't begin to imagine what it must feel like to see it up close and live with it. Stay safe!
Mersad
Mersad Donko Photography
we had that last blast come thru yesterday morning, then another few showers in the afternoon. this morning, sunshine! and no rain in the forecast for a couple of days in a row!
so glad you were safe. and so glad you have neighbors (and aunt and uncle) to rely on if need be.
i got my neighbor's yard mowed after 2 1/2 weeks, so i can imagine how high yours was! the hay fields are beginning to lay flat and brown out with too much steady rain.
and, yes, i heard that same 'cover texas with 8 inches of water' report.
Glad to hear you are safe. Tornadoes are one of my biggest fears after growing up in Illinois.
Just think how lush and green everything will be once the sun comes out!
These photos are fabulous although those skies look quite scary. I've seen the floods on the news. Good to know you are OK.
Wow, you have been hit really hard lately. And those are some very scary rainy conditions to be on the road with. I remember coming home from a visit with my sister in Prescott Valley a year or so ago and getting hit so hard with rain that I did pull over on to a side road to wait it out.
I do agree, 110 and a dust storm or two is much easier to deal with. We have fewer mosquitos too!
The pictures tell the story. No stranger to tornados, being in Illinois and I do see the threat in that cloud. Glad you're safe.
Yet the silver lining here... Tx always seems to be drought-filled each summer.
Oh Kathy, you have been living my life the last week! We have the flooded red river to the south and many smaller rivers surrounding us- all flooded, too. In a neighboring town they are searching for a young man who was washed away in the flood last week. I am safe from flooding out because I live on top of a hill, but the tornados and bad storms have made me paranoid. I will never again wish for rain. I'm glad you made it home safe. I got caught in one last Friday. Remember the good old days when 20% chance of rain meant 80% chance of no rain?
So good to hear that you are fine, Kathy. You are having an "adventure" for sure. Tornadoes are very scary! And so is so much rain! I'm hoping your weather will soon be back to normal.
Some dramatic skies! Glad you are not in the danger zone!
My s-i-l lives in Houston. She says it's soggy where she is but not flooded. Her house got hit by lightening though and there is some damage to the attic. Lucky no fire started. Blew out the transformer. Was pretty scary but everyone is safe.
The color in the first shot is scary.
Glad you're safe. It is quite scary when you hear a tornado is heading your way to hit at such and such time.
We've been watching the weather, and boy you guys have had some serious storms! Our daughter traveled to New Orleans on Saturday (she returns today) and I was even worried about where she is. It rained the whole first day & 1/2 there too. Lots of property damage and loss of life throughout the mid-south/mid-west region! I hope Texas gets some relief now! Beautiful photos, however! :-)
I don't think I'd like to live where tornadoes were a threat. A neighbour who knew how to read them might help but I doubt it. You surely have had a lot of rain. I'll have to stop saying I live in one of the rainiest areas on earth, it's just not true.
Post a Comment