Saturday, April 14, 2007

We're Not in Kansas Anymore

As I’m sitting here preparing Saturday’s post, storms are barreling towards the DFW Metroplex. Tornado watches/warnings etc. are going off everywhere. Ground lightning abounds. At the moment it’s about to hit the Motor Speedway, where people are camped in RV’s – targets in a storm of fury. And yet, I’m more excited than alarmed. I love storms – although I will admit to just a niggling of worry as the talk of rotation heats up. But it’s still a thunderstorm, and I love thunderstorms. I’m hoping that the thunder shakes the windows – the louder the boomers, the better. What would I do if a tornado hits? Nothing. There really isn’t anything for me to do. We don’t have basements here, and let’s face it – a closet isn’t actually going to help if a twister hits the house. Still, I wait in nervous anticipation for the light show, like a child at a Fourth of July picnic. My father raised me to love storms. Many times we’d sit on the porch, oooohing and ahhhing over every burst of lightning, every clap of thunder. I’d sit snuggled up against him, feeling so safe in my daddy’s arms. He also instilled in me a healthy respect for storms, I’m no idiot. I don’t drive in them unless I have to, I don’t stand under trees or in open fields. But I do watch with glee, my body jumping at each burst as the adrenaline courses through my body, much as it does during horror movies or roller coaster rides.

How do you feel about storms?


Update: Sirens and hail and rain, oh my. I’m typing this as the storm is hitting. The sky suddenly went black, like a blanket thrown over us. Winds are strong, most tornadic weather is a little north of us. Thunder isn’t as loud as I’d like, but we have pea-sized hail hitting the metal patio cover. The sirens have been going off and on for the last half-hour. I’m not on the PC; I’m on the unplugged laptop on battery power. I like to keep an eye on the on-line Doppler radars – watch the action as it happens, so to speak. We are under a tornado warning. A tornado did hit Ft. Worth/Arlington area (Cece [Amie]/Dennie and Sandy’s area). So, where would I go if it hits? Kansas.


Update: Well, I’ve been told that a tornado may have touched down only a few miles north of me. The thunder hasn’t been as bad as I would have liked, more a whimper than a boomer – thunder-wise. There have been 3, maybe 4 tornado touchdowns. They showed pictures of eighteen wheelers blown over on the highway over near Ft. Worth. This was some storm – cold front coming through has touched it off. Today’s temp was 72, tomorrow’s high will be mid-50s. The tornado watch has expired for me, so only thunderstorms left for the night. I am a little worried about my elderly aunt in the next county over (Rockwall Co.), she’s the widow of my uncle who died in January. She’s on the 3rd floor of a retirement complex. I’m thinking the facility would have moved them all downstairs. But the system that brought the tornadoes is heading straight for her. This is the part of storms that I don’t like.

So, this was my Friday night – how was yours?

14 comments:

Brandy said...

I, too, love storms. I love the flash and dash of lightening against the sky and the loud Boom! of thunder that follows. I like to count the beats between to see if I can guess how far away the storm is. We have tornados here and the sirens sometimes scream, we have no basement so I gather the kids and we stand in the hallway. It's scarey and exhilerating all at the same time.
You've made me wish that we'd get some rain here! But, um, you can keep the tornados! *g*

raine said...

Ditto on loving the storms--or, at least, on watching them. There is something fascinating, something majestic about them, isn't there?

The only thing I'm NOT crazy about is when it takes out the power, and that happens a little too frequently here.

Bernita said...

Yup.
Storms are exciting.

Anonymous said...

I'm ok with storms, healthy respect and all, growing up in Ohio. Glad you made it through. As for what I did last night, I posted about it over yonder, on my blog :)

Christa said...

Storms are ok as long as I'm not in it and watching safely from my home.

Last night I was checking the weather report for the Houston are because my friends were on their way to Teneessee and were about 90 miles from Houston. That was about 9 pm. To keep myself busy in between I cleaned my freezer. My parents are redoing their kitchen and their freezer is going in the shed. There was another small apartment size freezer in there that they brought me since mine was really old. So last night I defrosted mine and cleaned it.

Anonymous said...

I love hot summer nights and sitting on the porch watching lightening flash through the skies. I don't think I would like tornado weather but I love your common electrical thunderstorm. They add an excitement to the air!

Anonymous said...

I used to love storms. Except for the power going out. Hate that. But ever since living through that tornado last year, I've lost a lot of my enthusiasm for storms.

Saskia Walker said...

Storms are really exhilerating for me, too! Hoping your aunt isn't badly affected. Here in England we're having our first truly summer-like day.

Anonymous said...

I'm happy the tornadoes missed you! How did your aunt fair? I saw the damage on the news this morning on the news.

The storm you just went through is headed my way. It's suppose to start around midnight tonight and start as sleet and snow then change to rain tomorrow then stall over us and change back to snow leaving between 8-12 inches.

Melissa McClone said...

Storms scare me. I don't mind the lightening. That's fun to watch, but the wind, darkness rain, etc are what I don't like.

catslady said...

I like them too and when in Mississippi I went through a few good ones but I imagine if I was where homes were destroyed and lives lost I wouldnt' think that.

Amie Stuart said...

We got no hail, no tornados. Not that I'm complaining mind you but....I stood outside and took piccies of the clouds LOL

Dr. Bill Emener said...

I too love the exhilaration of a storm closing in -- with two exceptions: (1) when I'm still five miles off shore, and (2) when it's a hurricane heading my way -- I live on water!
Bill

Anonymous said...

It's been awhile since I stopped by and thought I would share my "Stormy Friday Night" story. By the way, I'm with you, I love a good thunderstorm. As a kid, I would sit by a window and watch as the lightening would light up the backyard like it was the middle of the day.

But I was going to tell you about Friday night: I was working late to make up for time running an errand during my lunch break. I was trying to call home to let DH know why I wasn't already at home. Just then a client call came in and alarms started in the building where I work on the 24th floor. Over head security was broadcasting we were under a tornado warning and should seek shelter in the stairwells and to stay away from any windows. So here I am on the phone with a client trying to help them with a systems problem while alarms are blaring away all around me.

I finally got off the phone and went over to nbc5.com to get live coverage on the storm. The storm had just passed over Dallas and was on its way to Rockwall. After talking with DH, it was decided it was safe for me to get on the road and on my way home.