If the link doesn't work, copy and paste this into your url area to see storm pictures:
www.geocities.com/meadowbunni/stormpic.html Storm pictures of 7/14/2002 73 to 90 mile per hour wind damages
Grayish black cloudy skies were dappled by the tan dust storm due north.
Horizontal and vertical lightning danced ferociously to the thunder's
music in the southeast and northeast skies. Electricity joined, writing the
alphabet for anyone daring (or foolish enough) to watch. Barely a warm breeze
blew at 7 p.m. but that would soon change.
Weary sore muscles screamed within my body to rest inside after cleaning
up the yard. By 7:30 p.m. I noticed the living room windows rattling, tickling
the mini blinds. Local television stations ran warning streamers across the
bottom of the tv screen for a thunderstorm warning from now until 9:15 p.m.
A few minutes later, the wind howled, thunder rolled/pushed/shoved its
way against the mobile home. Rain fell hard, sounding like large hail, but
it wasn't. Beating rains slammed against the glass, the roof. Winds could
be heard tossing the porch furniture around. I wondered if the tabletop plants
out there would soon be inside on my lap. Cracks of thunder roared to the
flashing of lightning. By 8:55 p.m., all power was out.
Gasps of "oh my God, look at this" could be heard from the neighbors
just west of me. I figured somebody lost an awning or shed that they found
blown into their yard, a frequent occurance during severe storms. Our
own mobile home rocked and rolled in short jolts. The walls 'wobbled' for
lack of a better word. It felt like they were rolling in waves. Oh, did I
ever wish I had a storm cellar. As the years go by, these storms have become
more ferocious and without as many years between them.
Much to my husband's disdain, I closed all but one window. He growled "we
need some air". I was more concerned about not having our cheapy windows rattling
and breaking in the frames were they to be left partially open. Nor did I
want carpets ruined from the inbound torrent of rains. By 9:15 the storm
subsided enough that I dared to open the front doors. With flashlight in
hand, my first sight was to see that the tabletop plants were still in place;
however, the porch chairs were tossed down into the front yard. Scanning to
see if the awning belonging to my neighbor's to the east was still there,
I came across a sight. A powerline was down! It had fallen across our fence
and was strewn through the front yard, across three sections of fenceline.
We couldn't get through to the power company, not even by cell phone (busy
signal). Husband had called 911 to report the downed line. The line was so
close to the front door, and even closer to his work truck which had gasoline
for power tools in it. He figured somebody needed to get through to the power
company to de-energize that line before the problem became worse. With
flashlight in hands, we looked for more batteries to power up the mini tv.
Some background distraction is good for calmer the nerves for both humans
and dogs. Odd though. The neighborhood cats came to our door, but only to
grab a bite to eat, not to seek shelter from the storm.
By 9:30 power came back on. By 9:40 p.m. I got through to the power company
and mentioned that I knew they could probably reroute around downed
lines (which the helpful lady comfirmed). I told her the placement
of the line and was put on a list for downed lines to be investigated. It's
now 10:15 a.m. the next day, the line is still tossed about the yard. Perhaps
luck is on our side. Perhaps it's a phone or cable line. They carry current,
but not as bad as household current. As long as no one 'rings' in, perhaps
the dogs won't be sizzled when they go outside to lift a leg. (You know dogs.
Leave something laying around, they will 'mark' it.)
A yard check by my husband (after power was restored) revealed that
it was that neighbor's own awning that had been ripped off and blown away,
an awning which had withstood about 30 years of storms. A neighbor
just north of us lost their front awning. A neighbor two doors east of us
lost part of theirs. Our mobile home skirting is worse for the wear but we
seemed to have fared okay, all things considered. News reports show that
local community airport 10 minutes from us measured winds of 73 miles per
hour. A tv reporter said that hurrincane winds start at 74 miles per hour.
The large airport downtown, Sky Harbor was reported to have had winds up
to 90 or 95 miles per hour.
*** This was not the worst storm. There had been another, a different year, which reached 145 mph (miles per hour). No pictures available on that. That one brought down main power poles, turned a few mobile homes upside down and kept portions of Deer Valley without electricity for three days during summer temperatures in excess of 110 degrees! That storm is why 1. I no longer express wishes for cooler summer temps (Fast cool downs during high heat equals devastating wind storms and damage.) 2. I get very high strung when the winds go over ten miles per hour (post traumatic stress disorder).
Trees are down all over the area cities. A home burned when a lightning hit
transformer fire caught the house on fire. Power lines are down here and
there. Condos hit by lightning became 'former homes'. It's a mess. We were
lucky. Storm damage pics at my place can be found at: www.geocities.com/meadowbunni/stormpic.html
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