Recovering from a very bad storm

Hi everyone,coming at you all from da frozen tundra of Wisconsin. We had some interesting weather on July 20. On Friday, July 19, we had our hottest day. The high in my neck of the woods was 95. The heat index was 107 because it was oppressively humid. The dew point was 76 degrees. By around 5 PM when I went to get my mail (my mailbox is outside a block from my condo), it was seriously difficult to breathe. It felt kind of like breathing through a hot wet washcloth. Now we're just not used to this kind of heat here. I remember thinking that we were gonna pay for this big time. I've lived in Wisconsin 47 of my 55 years on this planet (the eight years I was gone was when I was active duty Navy).

So at around o dark hundred, the lines of thunderstorms started. They weren't too bad. I noted the the thunder and lightning and went back to sleep. Then Saturday came. I was up at around 6 AM as there were more storms, and I couldn't sleep. So I was on my IPad looking at the weather forecast and radar. I was also listening to our local police frequency. They came over the air with a severe thunderstorm warning. Itnstated quarter sized hail, torrential rain, and 79-90 mph wind gusts. I started battening down the hatches, which basically meant turning off pretty much everything except the air conditioning and my IPad.

Then we waited. The radar was looking downright ugly at this point, lots of red, tornado warnings near our area too. Then it hit. It hit hard. It was brief, as it was moving quickly. I sat and played on my IPad. I finally decided it was time to get up. Once I was up, I happened to look out the sliding glass door of my den, and saw something that made my jaw drop. A very large tree, probably older than me had completely been uprooted. It had fallen to the left. I was in complete shock for a minute. I hadn't even heard it fall. A few of my neighbors were out there looking at it. We dodged a bullet. It fell on the street, and a part of it was on one of my neighbor's patio.

So here we were, four middle aged ladies cackling like hens and snapping pics with our phones. Fortunately it didn't hit any vehicles or cause any injuries. It made a huge mess, which will take some time to clean up. We were lucky. The three county metro area where I live currently has over 100,000 homes without power. Some people could without power for several days. Straight line winds in excess of 90 mph took down that tree. Many areas had it way worse. People and business in our community came forward and offered help. One guy in my town offered the use of his refrigerator, freezer, washer, dryer, and clothesline for people who didn't have power.

Several local businesses came forward and offered places to shelter, free food, water, and a place to charge phones. I I was blown away by all the community spirit. I'm so grateful and humbled to live where I do. I am okay. I have power, and all is well. I feel badly about the tree. Mother Nature sure can be capricious at times. Never take for granted what you have. It can disappear in the blink of an eye. Be grateful for what you have.

a reply to: ChiefD

We've had a couple rough weather spells here this year. We had a massive tornado come up through our neck of the woods. Then we had a derecho style line of storms move through, and I had to drive both myself and kiddo through it to get to camp and work -- scary stuff. That one dumped part of a tree in our lawn too.

And when the heat broke last night, the lightning and thunder got to cracking electrical style for a good hour. But we didn't get the drama it sounds like you did. Judging by my patio pond, we did get about an 1 to an 1 1/2 of rain along with it.

Are you going to be able to get the tree cut up and moved out on your own or will you have to hire a service to come in and do it? We managed to get a chainsaw and get ours cut up. It's no fun to have to hire someone to come out take it out. Although, if it's in the road, will the city do it?

a reply to: ChiefD

Crikey mate! Sounds like you really did dodge the bullet. Glad all's well with you and friends. The community spirit you talk about is uplifting in these times.

Stay safe Chief. Great story.

Kind regards,

bally

a reply to: ChiefD
With the heat and the little biting black bugs I knew something was brewing. You people to the north got the worst. We did have some trees down but it’s been a wet year. They uproot easier with the drenched soil. Hope everything gets back to normal for you and your neighbors.

a reply to: ketsuko

The neighbor who wound up with part of the tree on her patio called regarding it. The city took care of the part of it on the road. There will be someone from a company who will come and remove the remainder of the tree. The condo insurance will cover it, will be about $3,000. Our association fee will go up, but that's the way things go sometimes. We had a brutal winter, so there will be a vote at our annual meeting as to how much the monthly maintenance fee will go up for everyone. So we're ready for it.

I'm just glad nobody was hurt, and that we have power.

a reply to: ChiefD

I'm so sorry to hear this -- but so glad you're okay!

We got hit hard last summer with monsoons. First week in August had four monsoons blow through over five nights, even had one so-called 1,000 year storm. Ripped our carport right off the house. Lightning hit our olive tree, blackening one branch, and I guess the wind took out two other huge branches. Took about 2/3 of the tree altogether. Broke my heart, because it's old and (was) huge and just a beautiful tree. Plus shaded our house in the afternoons. Our south facing windows were blown in. We lost power each night, and the last night for three days.

Fortunately, monsoons blow through pretty quick, but it was ten minutes of sheer terror each night. Then checking on neighbors, assessing damage, and doing what ya gotta do.

I'm so glad you're still here to tell the tale

a reply to: ChiefD

You didnt get in the old VW bug and go chasing them? Tourist.SARC

originally posted by: PhilbertDezineck
a reply to: ChiefD

You didnt get in the old VW bug and go chasing them? Tourist.SARC

OMG, LOL, I think people who do that are brave, and absolutely insane!

They had some bad weather at a rock concert in Wisconsin too, I think it was Rock USA or Rock Fest or something like that this weekend. We know some people that went there, they had to go somewhere because of the bad weather.

originally posted by: PhilbertDezineck
a reply to: ChiefD

You didnt get in the old VW bug and go chasing them? Tourist.SARC

In Oklahoma, that's your storm protection policy in some places I've heard. You listen to the weather and if it sounds like it's coming your way, you get in the car and drive in another direction because the ground doesn't support basements in many places.

It works pretty well unless you can't see because of rain or you live in a major metro like OKC and everyone's trying to get out of the way all at once.

I'm glad I don't live there.

a reply to: rickymouse
Yeah, they had to evacuate Rock USA. They were directly on the path of the storm. There were a lot of pics of toppled over porta potties, LOL! Everyone was okay though.

There were all kinds of pics on Facebook of all the damage. The main utility company here said they will have to completely rebuild parts of the power grid, the damage was that bad.

I haven't seen a storm like this in over 10 years.

I’m on the boarder of Wisconsin/Minnesota, I heard the emergency broadcast that if caught outdoors the conditions could be deadly with 90 mph wind and baseball (!) sized hail.

It missed us, but I hope no one was hurt.

originally posted by: RandomPerson
I’m on the boarder of Wisconsin/Minnesota, I heard the emergency broadcast that if caught outdoors the conditions could be deadly with 90 mph wind and baseball (!) sized hail.

It missed us, but I hope no one was hurt.

Oh, holy crap! That could kill someone. I can't even imagine.

a reply to: ChiefD

It could if hit directly on the noggin, or from a falling tree. Some cars must be pretty dented up, windows broken. I heard roof damage could be pretty substantial too.

Mother Nature sure is crazy sometimes. Up here she’s bipolar.

a reply to: ketsuko

I'm in DoDa Ks Growing up there in the 60-70 teen-early adult we use to chase Tornado's, turn car hoods into giant sleds in snow or in a pasture, swim in the local storm system called the big ditch. Now you get an inch of snow and it shuts the schools down, the big ditch dosent have much water in it now, only at storm times. Those were the days......