Teal

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Teal
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Life & Events > Boring > This is Weather?
 

This is Weather?

We had the mother of all thunderstorms here in SW Florida this afternoon. The sky darkened, the rain began coming down in torrents, and the thunder started. So far, no problem. I usually enjoy a thunderstorm, and like to watch the turmoil of the big water that is our back yard. But this time, the thunder didn’t stop. For more than half an hour, tremendous claps of thunder followed each other closely, no break, I mean no lull at all. It was scary. I wondered if somehow the house would be compromised. Roof tiles blown away, pool cage panels ripped off, the thunder reaching in and grabbing me. And, of course, I was alone. Ed is coming back a day early and will be home tonight. But he’s not here now.

Finally, a respite and I guess that was it for today. I still hear thunder, but it is distant – the storm is moving away to terrorize another part of this peninsula. It is hurricane season. Thanks for the reminder. I am grateful I wasn’t caught outside. I used to bike every day and at times would get caught in a heavy rain and was once blown into roadside bushes by heavy winds. When a storm threatened when I was walking Buster, I’d be worried enough to hurry him along. In case you think I’m paranoid please know that Florida leads as the most lightning-prone state in the country. It experiences an average 25.3 lightning strikes for every square mile and has an average of 1.45 million lightning strikes each year, the highest in the country. More than 62 deaths attributed to lightning strikes have been recorded over the past decade. I also remember a tragedy from school days in Chicago. A kid in my class was on a city street and running to get out of the rain when, wham, lightning hit him and he died. That memory has stayed with me.

xx, Teal

posted on July 20, 2019 1:22 PM ()

Comments:

Scary. I wonder if the state has any regulations about lightning rods. Or coating one's house in rubber.
comment by drmaus on July 21, 2019 11:11 AM ()
I'm not aware of regulations but I do know we are grounded; don't ask me what is involved.
reply by tealstar on July 22, 2019 9:13 PM ()
We could use some rain but the powers that be need to hold off on the hail. Teal stay in and be careful.
comment by elderjane on July 21, 2019 6:41 AM ()
Run of the mill thunderstorms are OK, but that sounds like a nightmare! So glad you're safe.
I cringe at the thought of you being blown into the roadside shrubbery! Please take care.
comment by jerms on July 20, 2019 6:52 PM ()
There was a t-storm off to my southwest yesterday. I told Donna it sounded like fireworks where the next one is set off before the previous one dies out. Very strange. The neighborhood where I grew up has a heat index today of 116. Fortunately climate change is a hoax so this should be a one-time thing.
comment by jjoohhnn on July 20, 2019 3:16 PM ()
If *rump says it it must be a lie.
reply by jjoohhnn on July 23, 2019 7:58 AM ()
I trust your remark about climate change is irony.
reply by tealstar on July 22, 2019 9:11 PM ()

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