TORNADOS!

TORNADOs



Hello Russ, Bob y Susan, Pescador, my Bay neighbors, and all you Mulege lurkers. We're sure sorry to hear it's so uncomfortable down there near Mulege. I have been following the thread on the storm possibilities and high heat temps near Mulege. Bummer...

Like Slick often said, "I feel your pain." I can remember only too well how over-powering that heat and humidity can be..especially in the Bay. Plus how it increases the chances of heat stroke, which I've had twice in my Baja time. Not fun. The first time was my mistake, the second was unavoidable. Anyway, typical blood pressure problems and a defunct thyroid tell me to avoid that kind of heat these days, but all in the light of recent events Up North, I would gladly trade places with you. At least for a week or so.

You see...we have unusual high heat here too, but the real danger is...the damn Tornados.

Driving my motorhome across eastern Montana and western North Dakota for the last two days we dodged 2 separate tornados. We were on the almost-famous Highline Highway as usual. Hwy #2, ordinarily a glorious trip across the northern USA border.


Before this all got way too serious:

We had just pulled in to a nice lakeside camping spot I knew about when I noticed the sky darkening. I grew up in tornado country and know the signs..so naturally, I was on alert from that sighting... not really worried, just aware of the possibilities of bad weather. We get severe summer thunderstorms Up North all the time..but it's always prudent to pay close attention to any storm cell.





I took these photos of what I considered at the time to be the beginning of an ordinary high plains summer storm. Lots of thunder and lightning bolts. A very explosive event to be sure, but not really life-threatening...NORMALLY.

I got us all squared away for the evening..best sunset view position, sat-tv aligned, mellow sat-XM and local music tuned, a dirty martini in hand, a kiss from the boss, and a promise to build a campfire...all the requirements of boondock camping.

Then...Sure enough, the sky got a lot darker..quicker than usual..and the air became very still. NOW I got a little more concerned.




Long story short, we heard the Emergency Weather Warning on the radio about the same time we saw the ugly black funnel coming at us across the plains from the Southwest. Whoa! No time for shenanagins or photos..we are outta here pronto! I hastily got everything stowed and secure and away we sped to a safe spot I had picked out..a heavily-reinforced railroad underpass on the highway..a perfect spot to wait out a tornado if you have to..which we did.


A pretty tense time there for that entire night..fierce lightning bolts, thunder, and loud roaring... but we were fine in our tunnel. {No sat tv, though!} When the all-clear sounded the next morning and the tornado and accompanying storm cell had passed us by, I took this photo of a freight train sitting out the storm downtrack.

It is destined to become one of my most memorable photos..for me anyway. That scene will forever be etched in my mind.

Ha...like me, I can imagine the engineer was eager to make up for lost time, but you don't argue with a 200-400mph vortex.




So...we departed the safety of the tunnel..thanked whoever was listening for our survival.. and THEN I had a beer. WHILE I was driving....AND I DON'T GIVE A HOOT IF YOU DON'T APPROVE.




Day Two


We are now further on the Highline trail..in western North Dakota, near my childhood haunts and my hunting shack. The sky turns black.. again. Again, the radio issued the Emergency Weather Warning.. and again we pulled off into another sheltered spot to wait it out.


I am very sad to day that this day ended in death for one and injury for another.


This photo is not mine, but one from the news service reporting the following: (although the funnel we saw the day before was a dead ringer, but I didn't feel that risking our lives for a photo was in the cards.)



"Deadly storms passed through North Dakota last night and one touched down just south of Bowbells, killing 51-year-old Roger XXXXXX of Saskatchewan and injuring another man.

Driving just south of Bowbells you can`t miss the mess the storm left behind. Mangled up combines, a home destroyed and that isn`t even the worst.

A vehicle was reportedly picked up and carried more than 200 yards by the tornado. It ended up in a ditch yards away from the road. There were two people in the car. The driver was 19-year-old Troy XXXXXXX from Saskatchewan. Bulmer`s passenger, Roger, was killed. Troy was taken to Trinity Hospital to be treated for his injuries.

"When rescue workers arrived on scene they found a man walking down the road and they picked him up and found out what happened. Rescue individuals and equipment were a task to get back to the south side of Highway 52. With the amount of water they had a difficult time but were able to extract the victim by lifting and pushing the car," said Burke County Sheriff Barry Jager.

The Burke County Sheriff`s Department and Highway Patrol say the damage this tornado caused to the area is probably the worst they`ve ever seen."




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Give me the heat in Coyote Bay anytime..and I hope it cools off for you guys soon. .

what a story !! I can't even imagine being near a tornado ... but then we used to live with earthquakes and I have heard many a person say that we were nuts to live so close to the San Andreas fault ....

Quote:

Originally posted by Pompano .. and THEN I had a beer. WHILE I was driving....AND I DON'T GIVE A HOOT IF YOU DON'T APPROVE.

Everything is bigger in Texas

My wife can attest to that. She is in this picture, you just can't see her. She is huddled over her son as their brick home is crashing down on top of them.

They survived. She awakened from the coma several days later. Forty-four others did not. That is why April 10 is remembered as Terrible Tuesday in Wichita Falls, Tx.

This picture was taken from the other side of Lake Wichita, a distance of a few miles.

edited to resize picture

[Edited on 8-14-2010 by Wiles]

Wiles, That's a big bad twister. Been through more hurricanes than I can remember, but never a tornado. Heard 'em passing overhead and nearby, make a roaring sound, like heavy equipment.

Cypress, we've been through our fair share of hurricanes as well. From Luis, Marilyn & Bertha in the USVI to Charlie & Wilma in S. Florida to name just a few.

Seen and experienced the incredible intensity of the eyewall and eerie stillness of the eye twice, once in daylight and once in the dark.

My wife says if she had no choice but to do it again she would choose a tornado over a major hurricane.

With a tornado it's on you in a blink of an eye and gone just as quick.

With the hurricane it's hours of waiting and unnerving anticipation.

And with the case of H. Marilyn, it was hours (10) of all hell breaking loose all night long. We spent 6 hrs in the closet after all windows and doors blew out. Water spouting 3' above the toilet and then sucking back down leaving the toilet bowl dry. Watching the glass on the sliding doors bow in and out at least 6 inches without breaking. The block walls shaking so hard the room was filled with a fine dust illuminated by the flashlights. I could go on and on.

We always get a kick watching people being interviewed on tv after a storm. The ones laughing and joking about it saying it wasn't any big deal.....well they weren't really in the thick of things. The ones just shaking their heads and mumbling something like 'never again'......well we can relate. We know what part of the storm they went through.

Sorry for the hijack there Pompano. Let me just say, no apology needed for me. I understand.

And by the way Pomp, thanks again for inviting us to ride along with you on all your adventures.

Wiles, Yea, hurricanes seem to go on and on and...... They'll just wear you out, even if your high and dry.