Torrential rain, lightning, flooding and more!

[tuliptree]

That was my ride tonight. I just arrived in Philadelphia for a nice week long trip to visit my sister, but the journey was....well, not fun. Let me just say I am glad to be sitting in a warm dry home posting on GDF instead of in the car right now. Usually it is a 7 1/2 hour trip, including 2 stops, but tonight it was 10 hours with one short stop. Once I hit the Ohio/PA border I could see off in the distance HUGE clouds piling higher and higher. At the toll booth I could see lightning coming straight down, and it was continual. Lucky for me (ha!), the storm was following right along I-76 and never let up! Several times traffic came to a complete stop so that we could drive around tree branches, exploded by lightning, that were laying across the highway, and also so that we could tip toe across the flooding water. Gah!! Then the fog rolled in in the mountainous (giant hills) area. The rain never stopped.
But I am here now, drinking a glass of wine, so all is well.

[Two-Toe Tom]

wow, sounds like quite the crazy ride. well i'm glad you're safe n sound n comfy now :D

[tuliptree]

Thanks Tom! Glad to be here.
If only I had some guacamole now. (runs off to find Virgo...)

[urstwile]

Glad you made it safe and sound tuliptree. :)

I just read about that crazy storm in NYC, by the way. WTF, a tornado in Brooklyn? :eek:

[tuliptree]

Thanks urst. :) Wow, there was a tornado in Brooklyn?? I believe it though, it was a huge system--just couldn't get away from it.

[urstwile]

Was it part of the same system? Apparently, New York had a major storm, Brooklyn was hit pretty hard, and last I read, they were evaluating it as a tornado. Being from NYC originally, I find the whole notion to be pretty wacked out, but I've seen the pictures, it took roofs off of houses in fairly urban areas of Brooklyn. :eek:

[tuliptree]

No, I guess not. I hadn't had time to sit down and read about the storm, was the Brooklyn one you are talking about yesterday then?. I do know the storm I was in stretched from Ohio into eastern PA and went from I-80 down to I-76 (not sure how far it reached beyond that). My sister said they got hit hard too, today around the same time, so I thought maybe it was. Crazy though.

[budafist]

Sounds like you could do with some of the vegetable soup I'm making.

[AlexNJ210]

Have there been any hurricanes in the US this year? I might just be blank but i havent seen any news about one, even passing by. That seems really odd. Especially this time of year.

Yea, tornado in Brookly that destroys over 40 homes, tad crazy. Don't think ive ever heard of anything like that happening before. I havent seen that much lightning in a while. It was like there were flashes every 2 to 3 seconds for like 3 hrs.

[Typically]

my friend lives on the street that the tornado went through! she luckily didn't have a car up there or it would have been destroyed. there were trees and stuff everywhere.

glad you made it safely tulip i hate driving in heavy rain. enjoy the week in philly =]

[WannaBrie]

No hurricanes here in hurricane capital USA, so far at least...The season starts in March and ends in November (I think, or maybe oct.) anyway, so far only a couple of small tropical storms and they've fizzled out before they got here. I'm hoping it will continue this way...Last year we had crazy tornadoes though the worst of which were on xmas day and then again sometime in march in my area. I hope that doesn't reapeat again this year. Glad to hear you are safe and sound Tuliptree! I hate driving in weather like that, I refer to that hear as a "white-out" because it rains so hard all you can see is white.

[tuliptree]

Thanks Typically and WannaBrie.
Wannabrie, my sister moved to Philly from Miami (near Homestead), she and her family endured several hurricaines. The first of which was 3 days after she had her son (during Irene). We were there visiting when it hit. It was crazy, and I know it was no where near the big ones (although I think they said it was one of the wettest hurricaines on record, but didn't have the wind?) Here's to you having a calm hurricaine season.
Buda, even though its the next day, I could still go for a cup of your soup....sounds yummy!!

[The_Black_Knight]

No hurricanes here in hurricane capital USA, so far at least...The season starts in March and ends in November (I think, or maybe oct.) anyway, so far only a couple of small tropical storms and they've fizzled out before they got here. I'm hoping it will continue this way...Last year we had crazy tornadoes though the worst of which were on xmas day and then again sometime in march in my area. I hope that doesn't reapeat again this year. Glad to hear you are safe and sound Tuliptree! I hate driving in weather like that, I refer to that hear as a "white-out" because it rains so hard all you can see is white.One of the few places that I have seen "white out" rain was in, of all places, central Florida. I was heading east past Orlando, and the rain started, then became so heavy that I could barely see the tailights of the car right in fron of me, and couldn't see anything further than that. Holy crap that was scary. Everyone pretty much just slowed down to 5 mph, which was a pretty sensible thing to do, IMO.

The most annoying storm I've ever been in was on my way home to NJ from Savannah. The rain started just after I passed the GA/SC border. And the rain continued all the way from SC through NC, VA, MD, DE and about halfway up the NJ Turnpike. The continuous "whip-whip" of my wiper blades for over 12 hours was enough to drive me nearly insane.

[morea]

yikes, that's scary tuliptree! Glad to hear you made it in one piece! Enjoy your stay. :)

[WannaBrie]

[quote=The_Black_Knight]One of the few places that I have seen "white out" rain was in, of all places, central Florida. I was heading east past Orlando, and the rain started, then became so heavy that I could barely see the tailights of the car right in fron of me, and couldn't see anything further than that. Holy crap that was scary. Everyone pretty much just slowed down to 5 mph, which was a pretty sensible thing to do, IMO.

Yeah, thats my commute everyday. I would say that in the summer time, the whiteouts are relatively common and always on my way home from work...sometimes I just pull over and wait it out. Its scary becuz all of sudden you just can't see anything but white, and its so bright, but putting on sunglasses doesnt help-there's no sun, just whiteness...Like a rain blizzard!

[tuliptree]

Like a rain blizzard!

That sounds like a yummy milkshake!



Thanks Morea!! I think we are going to go see a King Tut exhibit at the Science Museum here for one thing (I've just been informed). Hope to make it back to the Art Museum as well.

[Kool]

Sounds pretty scary. It seems like everybody is either getting too much rain or none at all. I haven't seen a decent amount of rain since April.

[tuliptree]

It was pretty freaky, Kool, but now that I am here safe and sound, I guess I can now appreciate how beautiful the storm was now that I am not smack in the middle of it! When the fog rolled in it was lovely. I was still wondering if I would make it here in one piece so that wasn't quite my thoughts at the time, but yeah, it was purdy. Makes you feel really small and insignificant. I like that feeling.

[Two-Toe Tom]

It was pretty freaky, Kool, but now that I am here safe and sound, I guess I can now appreciate how beautiful the storm was now that I am not smack in the middle of it! When the fog rolled in it was lovely. I was still wondering if I would make it here in one piece so that wasn't quite my thoughts at the time, but yeah, it was purdy. Makes you feel really small and insignificant. I like that feeling.

if you like that feeling, you might like this short film: Powers of Ten (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1jd8AgjP9k)

[AlexNJ210]

Makes you feel really small and insignificant. I like that feeling.


Me too. I get that feeling when i look at the universe and think about how far away everything up there is. Its an amazing thing to feel that, everyone should stop and take a moment to think about that. It makes you appreciate how fragile life can be.

[Virgo Nightingale]

Thanks Tom! Glad to be here.
If only I had some guacamole now. (runs off to find Virgo...)
Here ya go...

http://www.avocadocentral.com/images/sublevel/media/thumbviewer/popup/Guacamole.jpg

I included some chips to make the package complete. We can't have ya diving in with your fingers, now can we? Actually, that sounds like mischievous fun... :D

I saw on msnbc.com (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20212252/) that there was crazy weather around that region last night, including some tornados!! :eek: Glad you made it through in one piece!

[tuliptree]

Alex, I agree with you 100%
Camping out in the desert southwest 15 years ago was the first time I truly felt that, and it really made a huge impact on me. It puts a certain perspective on life that is ....je ne sais quoi... not something I can put into words, but its part of who I am now and how I operate in life.

[tuliptree]

Oh Virgo I love you!!! :p That looks so good.

Actually, that sounds like mischievous fun... :D

Are you attempting to steer this thread into the NSFW bin already? LOL!!



Gah!! I was driving right through Pittsburgh in the thick of it--I did hear there were tornado warnings all over Ohio when I left too. Couldn't have picked a better time to travel. I took a few photos while in the car, but it didn't capture the full effect. If there are any decent ones when I look through them (or even a good little video clip) I'll link them.

[Virgo Nightingale]

I was thinking more along the lines of acting like a hyperactive 7 year old in a food fight, but if the *adult* version appeals to you more, I won't stop ya! ;)

[tuliptree]

Ohhh.......
sends self to NSFW and faces wall in time out.

[Virgo Nightingale]

*Now who's dirty?*

:D

[tuliptree]

But, but, but....Virgo made me say it! (that will be my defense, pretty air tight, isn't it?)

[Two-Toe Tom]

you're both dirty. now give each other a sponge bath. i watch.

[tuliptree]

SCHPOINNNNGGGG!!! Tom flies into the NSFW thread...

[Two-Toe Tom]

doh!

[tuliptree]

LOL!!!!!!! Looks like I am not the only one to have used this defense:

Virgo made me do it!!!!!!!
her mind games and dirty thoughts have wronged me from the path.

[Virgo Nightingale]

So I'm like the evil bully in elementary school who would beat the snot out of you if you didn't dump several handfuls of earthworms into the split pea soup in the cafeteria at luchtime without getting caught? :D

[tuliptree]

Tom, I missed your post there the first time, I am watching Powers of Ten right now, neat!

On a less intellectual note, I liked when they sped back through space back to the picnic, it made my tummy tickle.

[tuliptree]

No, actually more like

the dirty girl in elementary school who would beat the snot out of you if you didn't say risque things.

:p

[Virgo Nightingale]

Like this?

SAY SOMETHING DIRTY DAMMIT!!! OR YOUR NOSE GETS IT...

[Two-Toe Tom]

:eek:

BOOBIES!!!!!

please dun hit me!

[Virgo Nightingale]

*sigh*

I guess my Dirty Girl days aren't as far behind as I thought... :rolleyes:

I try Kool. I really try.