Close call last night. OT

[maribelle]

I love storms! They make me nervous, but whenever the warnings start popping up on weather bug, I start getting excited. Well, last night, I got reminded of how serious the threat can be.
We've been having a three day run of big boomers. Last night, I had to drive out in the worst one we've had to date. The rain was coming down so hard, I couldn't see more than 1/4 mile down the road, and I was starting to get seriously worried about flash flooding. We got through the worst of the rain though, and I thought we were in the clear, when a HUGE bolt of lightening struck the pavement immediately in between our car and the car in front of us. The bolt was a good two feet thick, and the pop from the thunder immediately over head was deafening, even in the car! When I turned to my passenger, there was a jagged purple line down her face from the brightness on my eyes! Talk about exciting! :yikes
Anyway, although the excitement is still there, a little of the fear and respect have returned! Anyone have some neat storm stories to share?

[jroche5998]

When I was a youngster (11 or 12) a bolt of lightning struck a tree in our front yard. The tree literally exploded. The splinters were driven into the ground, when we went to dig out what seemed to be a small sliver we realized that 4 feet were buried in the ground! Windows were broken in all the houses around us, two houses caught on fire and a tree, and our mailbox was a crumpled mess.

Oh yeah, and I slept throught the whole thing, firetrucks and all.

[MotherNature]

A couple of years ago, we were having a lightening storm and a bolt struck a pine tree in the pasture in front of our house. The noise was tremendous. Two of our horses were standing under the tree and they were killed instantly. Ironically, the tree lived.

Cathy

[Miss Phode]

I moved down to Florida 8 months ago, and we're 3 weeks away from hurricane season. They say this year is gonna be bad. I'll keep you posted.

[cruiser gal]

Last summer, we had a freak thunder-hail/rain storm, down pour. I was driving, and pulled over to a strip mall, and sat in the car, parked, between 2 vans, waiting until the rain subsided a bit, as I didn't want to get soaked. Well it kept getting worse, and within a couple of minutes, started flooding the parking lot, and cars were starting to be side swept. I knew I had to run for it, and did so immediately to the near by Dairy Queen getting soaked. Well, lo and behold, the Dairy Queen started to flood and here we were standing in ankle deep water. Suddenly the rain let up, everyone went home, and a disaster was waiting for me at home. Thank goodness for insurance, and no one was hurt!!!

[ztachick]

no stories here, but glad you are ok

[Laurenfra]

I was raise on the coast of NJ. Every bad storm we would so sit on the boardwalk and hold on for dear life. How stupid we were, but I still love storms

[Katlam]

WOW Maribelle, I too love storms but that one was just too close for comfort I'm thinking! But what an awesome thing to witness.

My mom knew we were all a bit scared of storms when we were kids. So mom decided to make them "FUN". If there was a storm blowing in during the summer evening. She'd make popcorn and we'd get soda and we'd all get chairs and sit in front of the big BOW window in our living room and watch the lightning as if it was the worlds best fireworks show.

My brother John & I are 5 years apart in age and in our 40's now, but let us be in the same place during a storm and we're at the door or window shouldering one another out of the way so we can "SEE" just like when we were kids!

Kathy

[Lady_Hawke]

During monsoon season in arizona the rain can be unbelievable....my friend and I were visiting her home state of Missouri one weekend and we were driving back to her parents place from a church reunion....it was raining and terrible winds, but heck, we were from arizona and used to such weather during monsoon season. So when the rain got so thick we couldn't see in front of us, we'd pull over, let it pass and continue on our way.....at one point lightning struck and shot thru the car and we ended up with the same black and blue marks on our legs....well we were a bit freaked after that but continued on to her parents, it was after midnight when we pulled up and we were so wowed to see that everyone waited up for us! Her family ran out to greet us and were so glad to see we were ok.....that storm we were driving in.....a storm from a tornado! :yikes

[dreamof145]

I grew up in tornado alley in Ohio. I've been through several severe twisters. When I was 15, we had one so bad that we stayed in our basement for 2 days. It knocked down powerlines, tore up trees, and completely destroyed the town next to us. Of course we were prepared, we had a shelter set up in the basement just in case that should ever happen. We couldn't come out till the firedepartment had come through, take trees out that had plunged through our windows and pick up power lines that were laying all around the house.

I've also been in a flash flood, one that we had to evacuate in the night and went up on the mountain (in W. Va.) and look down at the river taking my grandmother's house away. We watched cattle drowning and watched cars speeding up the mountain to get away from the water. It was a sight I'll never forget.

I've also been in two earthquakes. Nothing real serious, but enough to rattle my nerves. One was in the Majove Desert in California. I was driving a big rig with my husband and we stopped to sleep. We woke up with the truck swaying and feeling sick to our stomachs. Another when I was sleeping at our home in Utah. I woke up in middle of the night to the pictures on the wall swaying. Again felt queazy and thankful it was nothing worse.

I was also in two hurricanes. I was in Inniki in Hawaii (really bad one. Scared the crap out of me.) and then in Florida, I was again driving big rig and experienced Andrew. We were heading to Miami, but stopped and seeked shelter in Orlando. That was scary too.

I've been very lucky. Very lucky. Hope I don't have to experience anymore disasters.\

[maribelle]

Some awesome stories...THANKS! Tamariah, everyone has always told me that being in a car is the safest place to be as far as lightening goes, since the tires are rubber. Now I know better, thank you. When we had satellite tv, I loved watching Storm Stories. Sounds like you all don't need to, since you've lived them. Glad you all came through!