The Worst...

[Black Cloud]

If you live as long as most of us have, you have enough years to have experienced a variety of weather woes.

 

[Lynne]

We had a tornado come through my farm about 18 months ago,unheard of here,it knocked half the trees down and crushed my 13000 dollar fence I just had put up,the neighbour's brick house was flattened.You good people are probably used to these in the US but it was an unexpected here and I'm thinking it is the beginning of changing weather events.

I hope your insurance fixed your fence? With all the critters out in your area a fence is probably a necessary structure.

 

[Paintman]

Aside from being a newborn baby during the Great Chicago blizzard of 1967, my second terrifying weather event was driving through a thunderstorm with tornados in the area.
Was a sparsely populated Highway stretch of Indiana farmland between Bloomington (college) and home. As green & flat as a pool table.
The AM radio was crackling, but someone on a very small local station said, " If you are in the sound of my voice take shelter now."
So I did.
it was so rural that the exit I took didn't even have a gas station. There was a farmhouse in the distance and wind was whipping all around, visibility was nil. Car barely staying on an unfamiliar road. Knuckles white.
Knocked on the door soaking wet, and a young Mother and her small children let me stay for a half hour.
They had a cellar. But I picked up on Mom's cue not to alarm or frighten the little ones. We'd retreat there if need be.

It all was a near miss. Still think fondly of that young mother who let a complete stranger in. Young ? Just realized that she was probably my age at the time. Just as scared.

I also just realized how hard I was gripping that steering wheel, like I could pin the car to the road.
Debi, this happened south of Rensselaer.

 

[Debi]

Debi, this happened south of Rensselaer.

Definitely in the tornado corridor we have and you can't find flatter area! There seems to be a "zone" for tornadoes between I-70 line and that area/Lafayette.

 

[Lynne]

Aside from being a newborn baby during the Great Chicago blizzard of 1967, my second terrifying weather event was driving through a thunderstorm with tornadoes in the area.
Was a sparsely populated Highway stretch of Indiana farmland between Bloomington (college) and home. As green & flat as a pool table.
The AM radio was crackling, but someone on a very small local station said, " If you are in the sound of my voice take shelter now."
So I did.
it was so rural that the exit I took didn't even have a gas station. There was a farmhouse in the distance and wind was whipping all around, visibility was nil. Car barely staying on an unfamiliar road. Knuckles white.
Knocked on the door soaking wet, and a young Mother and her small children let me stay for a half hour.
They had a cellar. But I picked up on Mom's cue not to alarm or frighten the little ones. We'd retreat there if need be.

It all was a near miss. Still think fondly of that young mother who let a complete stranger in. Young ? Just realized that she was probably my age at the time. Just as scared.

I also just realized how hard I was gripping that steering wheel, like I could pin the car to the road.
Debi, this happened south of Rensselaer.

Wow that was scary.

 

[ozentity]

I hope your insurance fixed your fence? With all the critters out in your area a fence is probably a necessary structure.

I do need the fence but the insurance didn't cover it.I had to repair it myself :tired: .

 

[L.S.]

1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

 

[Duke]

1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

I was in Downey during the Whittier quake.

 

[Donna Lee]

I live in South Florida and I've lived through many Hurricanes including Andrew (which didn't impact my area, it hit about 30 miles south of me). Andrew was mostly wind instead of rain and I remember hearing the howling of it. We've also managed to dodge quite a few nasty ones too. Of all the hurricanes, I think Wilma was the one that broke me.

We lost the roof from our back porch with that one. It blew over the house, went somersaulting down the street and took out a neighbor's mailbox! My car's windshield was cracked on the passenger's side and our canoe was lifted up and over into our next door neighbor's yard. The next day I had to go into work and as I drove in, it was like an obstacle course. By the time I arrived, I was a wreck. Trees and debris were all over the place in the parking lot and I could barely find a place to park. I went to my desk, put away my purse and sat there and cried. Electricity was out for 2 weeks. I never want to go through that again, but here I am still living in South Florida.

The only tornadoes I've seen were waterspouts over the ocean. I remember being mesmerized by them. I saw 4 at a time once and I couldn't take my eyes off of them!

 

[garnetsilver]

I've never seen a waterspout over the ocean; that would be cool as long as no one was in danger!