Some interesting observations here…i have been giving alot of thought
over the years to the impacts of global warming on the characteristics of
severe thunderstorms & severe thunderstorm outbreaks, & thus far have
drawn only 1 fairly certain conclusion:
GET USED TO IT!
The nature of building construction is going to have to change ASAP…for
EVERYONE-not just those privileged enough to “afford” it. Along w/ energy
efficiency, storm-proofing will be as critical in places like the eastern
2/3 of the country (hell-EVERYWHERE) as earthquake-proofing building
standards are on the West Coast. It is rapidly becoming an issue of
disaster preparedness & public health-w/ all its racist & classist
implications…
A. Storm Tracker
—————————- Original Message —————————-
Subject: RE: minimal damage
From:
Date: Thu, May 15, 2008 10:44 am
To:
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We are still out of power. I’m at the Vortex now, the businesses along
Manor Rd have electricity and they’re packed. I have never seen weather so
severe. It looks like rain again and I’m *scared*!!! The two big cedar
elms in the back yard are stripped to poles. The one in the front only
lost one big branch which is now gouging Elfie’s Cadillac. There are huge
hail damage dings on the cars parked on the street on the tops and on the
*sides* which were facing west. Golf ball sized hail at least, two window
panes out in the kitchen window, the hail was going totally sideways
during the big downblast. Elfie and I were in the backyard collecting
hailstones til they got pingpong ball sized and started to really hurt.
The sky turned from evening sunset to black as night. We ran in and when
the lightning cracked we could see the back porch was completely iced over
with hailstones, some golf ball sized or better. A lot of the ice wasn’t
even round, it was just slab shaped chunks? Then the wind really started
to blast, we shut the back door, it was raining and hailing into the
kitchen, the windows broke, I rescued my computer from the kitchen table,
power went out, good grief. It all over in less than five minutes. Emo (my
kitty) was outside and yowling, at first I thought he was smashed under a
big limb that is blocking the front walkway. But he was fine, just a bit
clingy. Then all the neighbors were in the street checking in, making sure
we were all okay. We heard transformers popping and blowing out all
around. Cops, fire trunks and ambulances and city maintenance trucks all
around. Today it is all the sound of chainsaws. Cars with windows out,
being towed away. Some yards little affected, others look like ours. It
seems like the really strong downblasts were very small, like yard-sized
or smaller. Yow!
C
~o}0<
Date: Thu, 15 May 2008 08:12:31 -0700
From:
Subject: minimal damage
To:
The garden looks good. Minimal damage. The leafy greens have some holes
in the leaves, and there are a few broken limbs on the tomatoes, but not a
big deal. The storm seems to have been the worst in your area, a little
lighter in mine, and even lighter at the garden. I hope that you and your
house are OK!
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