Jeri, I've been through several hurricanes (Cat 4 and smaller), a couple of earthquakes (5 on the Richter Scale and smaller), blizzards (sort of like a hurricane in winter), and tornadoes (F-5 and smaller). I haven't been through a fire, though some here have. If I were given a choice, I'd take a hurricane.
That doesn't diminish the destructive power of a hurricane, or the suffering and cost that Harvey and Irma have caused. It's just that the F-5 tornado is the only weather event that I have experienced where I actually thought I was going to die.
Dave the sound was horrible. When the first few bands were coming through you would have a huge rush of violent wind and then pounding rain. Sometimes there would be thunder. Then it would get very still. And then it would start all over again. The violence would last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes and the idle time about 20 minutes. We have a line of trees of various sizes and bushes lining the back yard on the property line which has a wall between us and the development behind us. One side is fairly open with a very low (24 inches) lattice fence and bushes; the other side has more bushes and a wooden fence that belongs to the neighbor. With the wind coming South to North it would run down the backyard walled side. At times I swear it was roaring and the wind would become super violent. As the storm progressed through the day and night the bands would be closer together and then it was relentless with the wind varying from sort of calm to stupidly violent. Hard rain and then soft rain. Because we had the whole house shuttered we didn't hear it through the night and having power and cable it helped to see what was going on at night. I was rather concerned about the old (40 plus years old) Pine tree falling over and clipping the house. It dropped very small branches, larger than twigs.
But the roar of the wind and seeing the tall palms bending over and swaying and the gumbo limbo swaying but not breaking but a few branches is/was amazing.
Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to post before and after pictures. That's the only way to see what I'm trying to describe.
SO glad you and Rich are okay. I know you were well prepared and it looks like it paid off!
We ave of course had lots of your troubles on the TV and Mother Nature has won again! SO much damage in so many places....and there is nothing we can do to stop it! Then to throw a few tornados into the mix as well! Cruel!!
Keep on being safe, and don't overdo the cleaning up! It will keep for a while!
Comments
That doesn't diminish the destructive power of a hurricane, or the suffering and cost that Harvey and Irma have caused. It's just that the F-5 tornado is the only weather event that I have experienced where I actually thought I was going to die.
Dave the sound was horrible. When the first few bands were coming through you would have a huge rush of violent wind and then pounding rain. Sometimes there would be thunder. Then it would get very still. And then it would start all over again. The violence would last anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes and the idle time about 20 minutes. We have a line of trees of various sizes and bushes lining the back yard on the property line which has a wall between us and the development behind us. One side is fairly open with a very low (24 inches) lattice fence and bushes; the other side has more bushes and a wooden fence that belongs to the neighbor. With the wind coming South to North it would run down the backyard walled side. At times I swear it was roaring and the wind would become super violent. As the storm progressed through the day and night the bands would be closer together and then it was relentless with the wind varying from sort of calm to stupidly violent. Hard rain and then soft rain. Because we had the whole house shuttered we didn't hear it through the night and having power and cable it helped to see what was going on at night. I was rather concerned about the old (40 plus years old) Pine tree falling over and clipping the house. It dropped very small branches, larger than twigs.
But the roar of the wind and seeing the tall palms bending over and swaying and the gumbo limbo swaying but not breaking but a few branches is/was amazing.
Maybe tomorrow I'll be able to post before and after pictures. That's the only way to see what I'm trying to describe.
Do you have before and after pictures of your stamps?
We ave of course had lots of your troubles on the TV and Mother Nature has won again!
SO much damage in so many places....and there is nothing we can do to stop it! Then to throw a few tornados into the mix as well! Cruel!!
Keep on being safe, and don't overdo the cleaning up! It will keep for a while!
Glad to hear from you and SO glad you are safe
Hugs!