Tornado Warnings: Welcome to Summer on the Plains w/Update!
June 27th 2009 07:11
Ahhh, summer on the high plains. What could be more beautiful? The sun is shining, the snow is gone, people are enjoying the fair temps by partaking in their favorite outdoor activities. I would even go so far as to say that those of us who are forced to endure months of blizzards and sub zero temps have a better appreciation for summertime than those who experience mild temps year round. Is that fair? I think so.
I love summer. I like to enjoy nature and hear the birds. There is something so exciting and moving when those Canadian Geese return in the spring. My heart skips a beat when I see the first of them make their way back. And it always catches me off guard. I'll be outside, and hear a faint honking in the distance. Could it be? I look up at the sky, and there in the distance, is that unmistakable V formation, heralding the coming of new life and new beginnings. There's a reason they always come home. Because there's nothing like these northern summers.
However...... we midwesterners have some pretty thick skins. We deal with arctic climate from about late October until late March or early April. Heck, we had snow this year at the beginning of this month! Then summer comes, and BAM! Tornado. Shit.
This evening I was at a movie theater, enjoying the Pixar movie "UP" for the second time. If you haven't seen it, add it to your most urgent To Do list. As I sat there enjoying the first 20 minutes of the film, the movie stopped and the lights came on. "Ladies and Gentelmen...may I have your attention. The city is under a Tornado Warning, and 6 of them have already been confirmed around the outskirts of town. A funnel cloud has been reported hovering just over 32nd avenue, so we must ask that you all calmly move to the interior hallways of the theater, to lessen the threat to your safety." Commence crying children and panicking parents.
As for me, I was pissed that the movie was interrupted. I guess we get cynical up here. Tornado warning...blah blah. So, there we stood in the hallway surrounded by screaming kids. After about a half an hour of that, I said, "Screw this" and we left. Out into the pouring rain and lightning. I stood outside just admiring the awe inspiring beauty of it all, until a gust of wind literally knocked me off of my feet and I ended up splashing into a puddle of muddy water. Then, I was over it. To hell with nature! Haha!
In one evening, we had three different alerts from the National Weather Service. First, a Tornado Warning. Then a Severe Thunder Storm Warning. Currently scrolling across the T.V. screen is the Flash Flood warning. Wonderful.
And this is pretty much how it goes all summer long. One bit of severe weather after the other. Then, back to the blizzards. But we love it. It makes us tough. You know you're from the midwest if you've ever climbed on top of a roof to get a better view of a funnel cloud that is barreling toward your general vicinity. You know you're from the midwest if you've ever spent three days straight filling sandbags. You know you're from the midwest if you've ever stood outside in a blizzard that makes it impossible to see your hand in front of your face, and still contemplated whether or not to drive your car. You know you're from the beautiful upper midwest if you've ever had to scrape the ice from your windshield, you've gone outside with wet hair and it literally freezes solid, and you still say in all honesty, "It's really not that cold."
Not to mention is was 95 degrees F outside earlier in the day. For you International folks, that's 35 C. H-O-T!
Update: The sirens are going off again! It's friggin' 3am! Sheeeeeesh! Btw, if anyone wants to see some of the other quirky majesty that this area contains, I'll direct you to something I wrote on another blog. Try not to be too jealous!
Midwest Oddities
I love summer. I like to enjoy nature and hear the birds. There is something so exciting and moving when those Canadian Geese return in the spring. My heart skips a beat when I see the first of them make their way back. And it always catches me off guard. I'll be outside, and hear a faint honking in the distance. Could it be? I look up at the sky, and there in the distance, is that unmistakable V formation, heralding the coming of new life and new beginnings. There's a reason they always come home. Because there's nothing like these northern summers.
However...... we midwesterners have some pretty thick skins. We deal with arctic climate from about late October until late March or early April. Heck, we had snow this year at the beginning of this month! Then summer comes, and BAM! Tornado. Shit.
This evening I was at a movie theater, enjoying the Pixar movie "UP" for the second time. If you haven't seen it, add it to your most urgent To Do list. As I sat there enjoying the first 20 minutes of the film, the movie stopped and the lights came on. "Ladies and Gentelmen...may I have your attention. The city is under a Tornado Warning, and 6 of them have already been confirmed around the outskirts of town. A funnel cloud has been reported hovering just over 32nd avenue, so we must ask that you all calmly move to the interior hallways of the theater, to lessen the threat to your safety." Commence crying children and panicking parents.
As for me, I was pissed that the movie was interrupted. I guess we get cynical up here. Tornado warning...blah blah. So, there we stood in the hallway surrounded by screaming kids. After about a half an hour of that, I said, "Screw this" and we left. Out into the pouring rain and lightning. I stood outside just admiring the awe inspiring beauty of it all, until a gust of wind literally knocked me off of my feet and I ended up splashing into a puddle of muddy water. Then, I was over it. To hell with nature! Haha!
In one evening, we had three different alerts from the National Weather Service. First, a Tornado Warning. Then a Severe Thunder Storm Warning. Currently scrolling across the T.V. screen is the Flash Flood warning. Wonderful.
And this is pretty much how it goes all summer long. One bit of severe weather after the other. Then, back to the blizzards. But we love it. It makes us tough. You know you're from the midwest if you've ever climbed on top of a roof to get a better view of a funnel cloud that is barreling toward your general vicinity. You know you're from the midwest if you've ever spent three days straight filling sandbags. You know you're from the midwest if you've ever stood outside in a blizzard that makes it impossible to see your hand in front of your face, and still contemplated whether or not to drive your car. You know you're from the beautiful upper midwest if you've ever had to scrape the ice from your windshield, you've gone outside with wet hair and it literally freezes solid, and you still say in all honesty, "It's really not that cold."
Not to mention is was 95 degrees F outside earlier in the day. For you International folks, that's 35 C. H-O-T!
Update: The sirens are going off again! It's friggin' 3am! Sheeeeeesh! Btw, if anyone wants to see some of the other quirky majesty that this area contains, I'll direct you to something I wrote on another blog. Try not to be too jealous!
Midwest Oddities
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Comment by Natalina
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thats a really cool storm pic!
Comment by Wilson Pon
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Comment by Natalina
My Life My Muse
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Wilson, there is a strange beauty there, yes? And you're right, there have been some horrible tornado related tragedies. I've got my fingers crossed that one of those beasts doesn't touch down too close to my home!