Thunderstorms

[fan-of-fans]

As a kid being home in the summer, the thunderstorms we would sometimes get were always fascinating to me. The dark foreboding clouds in the distance and the wind picking up and then the heavy rain and lightning. Then during the storm the peaceful sound of rain.

I was wondering if any of you have any memorable storms, especially lightning. I know one summer 10 years ago - looked out the bedroom window an there was a loud BANG! and all I could see outside was white. That one blew out one of the bedroom TVs and some other neighbors' TVs as well.

On Labor Day we just had a heavy storm. I was going to go for an evening walk when suddenly the crackle of thunder started in the distance - decided it was time to turn around before I got stuck in the storm. About half an hour later the storm and lightning was in full force. One was a loud flash and CRASH! Had the TV on and the cable was knocked out for a minute or two. Neighbor next door called and said it had hit their flagpole and they could see steam coming from it. Sure enough, on the ground you could see where the dirt was plowed up where the lightning traveled. The grass was dead around it also. The ants nearby didn't seem to be affected.

I can remember my father's stories about thunderstorms growing up. He said often when lightning would strike, blue sparks would come out of their wall outlets! The wiring wasn't grounded. I've never seen that happen here.

 

[mattl]

I've always enjoyed summer storms.  Watching the dark clouds roll in, seeing the lightening in the distance.  I have a second story deck and when we were younger my brother and I would go up there and watch for tornados - others were heading for the basement, we were heading up.

 

Very mild summer this year, no major storms, I can't recall a severe thunderstorm warning let alone a tornado watch of warning.  Have no idea how that bodes for the winter though.

 

[jmm63]

I used to be terrified of storms as a kid growing up in Michigan, and it seemed like the storms were always really bad and really loud.  When I was 10, we moved to the west side of Illinois after my mom remarried.  I was now terrified of tornados, and it seemed like we had tornado watches and warnings all the time.  What a fun child i must have been

 

As an adult, I love a good thunderstorm.  Especially in the middle of the night.  Love laying in bed an hearing the rumbles and the rain hitting the roof.  I still get a touch nervous  when the weather is severe, although here in NJ, it seems like the storms are pretty wimpy.  I don't think we've had anything severe here in the area in 6 or so years.  

 

[fan-of-fans]

The last two weeks, we've been having storms coming in after dark which is pretty unusual. Friday before last, we got thunderstorms that lasted into the night. And last Friday, the storms started up about 5 and ended around 7. I didn't expect anymore but around 11:30 they rolled in again with loud thunder and then pouring and lasted until at least 12:30 or 1. I too enjoy listening to the thunderstorms when I'm in bed.

 

[DADoES]

 
Rainstorms can be refreshing but I don't much care for lightning and wind damage.

 

[gyrafoam]

I spent a lot of time living in Florida as both a visitor and resident especially in the 1980's.
The most violent weather I have ever experienced was in Tampa. You could set your watch by the daily late afternoon summer thunderstorms. Sometimes with sizable hail, tornadoes and waterspouts.
I lived a block off the Bayshore and Howard Ave. in Old Hyde Park. It did not take much for the whole neighborhood to flood, either.

Miami was different. In the summer, storm squalls drifted over every few hours or so. It would rage lightning and pour for 20 minutes and be gone. You just endured the steam-bath it created.

I saw many bolts of lightning hit too close for comfort. The worst was getting stuck on a stalled motorboat in Hillsboro Bay adjacent to Culbreath Bayou. I could see the dock at my parents house we were so close. It was late afternoon and I could see the wall of black approaching from the west. Just as I was going to jump and swim for the dock the motor started. We just did make it into the house when a bolt of lightning shot overhead. Too code for me!

 

[mattl]

Had a great thunderstorm Monday while on my cousin's 36' boat.  Got all the panels up quickly and it was great watching the rain hit the plastic sections of the zipped up panels and see the downpour.  Also  a good amount of wind had the boat rocking.  Enjoyed watching the dark cloud roll by quite quickly, noticed the difference in wind direction at slightly differing highs on the masts of the sail boats,  The tall ones all pointed the same direction while the shorter one had a slightly differing direction only 10-20' lower.

 

[gusherb]

We've had a lull in strong thunderstorms the last 2-3 years. My favorite was when it got pitch black outside and the sky turned green, all went dead still....then the sirens started and shortly after all hell broke loose. That was the lightning show of a lifetime! Unfortunately that was a tornado that ripped up the town 2 miles north of me. We had 80-90 MPH winds reported by my house, it was a miracle nothing got blown apart. Though lightning did strike a tree in the back yard and took off a limb.

...Yeah that was my most memorable storm.

The typical summer storms we haven't seen lately are the ones with the 50-70 MPH winds and torrential downpours. Nothing like looking out the window and thinking this is what It'd be like to be in a vintage KA or RR Maytag.

 

[tomturbomatic]

I like the approach of the storm. I remember one spring morning in maybe 4th or 5th grade when our school's classrooms still only had one fluorescent fixture that ran front to back on the inside or hallway side of the room opposite the wall of windows and an approaching storm made it almost as dark as late evening outside. It made the inside of the classroom look so dramatic, almost Hopperesque, with the dark windows creating a stark contrast between the now darker side and the side of the room with light and that light reflecting weakly off the Venetian blinds. I could imagine that we were going to school at night. I like the really dark skies before the storm. Pity that they don't seem to stay dark once the rain starts falling.

 

After the tornado in 2001 and the derecho in 2012, I am less enthusiastic about strong storms with the potential to cause damage to the house. I do still enjoy lightning and thunder and a little wind, especially after dark and best when I am in bed and can watch the lighting light up the bedroom. This summer has been unusual in that more of our rain than usual has just fallen straight down, even when it is a heavy downpour, without wind blowing it one way or the other.

 

One thing I have not seen, maybe because I live too far south, is for the sky to get really dark in the onset of a snowstorm. Is that more of a northern thing or is that mostly for blizzards? I have read about it, but not seen it. 

 

[superocd]

I ****LOVE*** thunderstorms...

Too bad here in the PNW we only have one a year, if that. It's so funny seeing people go into panic mode around here when there's "lightning and thunder" and it isn't even that bad, not compared to some of the storms in other parts of the country. I'm from the Midwest, so thunder and lightning was second nature. Life went on until a tornado warning was in the mix.

I really looked forward to the quick flash of lightning, a short span of DEAD, EERIE SILENCE...like there's an impending doom, you just KNOW it's coming...and then, it catches you by surprise...all of the SUDDEN, the C-R-R-A-A-A-A-C-K!!!! that is so loud and powerful that it would be picked up on the Richter scales and mistakened for seismic activity. The house would shake, pictures would fall off the wall sometimes. Actually, a lot of homes developed cracks from the thunder, usually on the plaster/drywall. Even the joints in between bricks on brick homes would crack. If we had one of those storms here in the PNW, some people would swear up and down we were having an earthquake.

I loved waking up at 11PM or 3AM or some other ungodly hour from the super-bright flash that lit up my bedroom. Chills ran up my spine as I anticipated the inevitable C-R-A-C-K!!! that I loved to hear. I was so passionate about these storms that I'd go out the back door, inhale the fresh, crisp ionized air and yell POW! at the top of my lungs after a flash of lightning. As a kid, I loved the fireworks on the 4th but nothing was better than what I called "Mother Nature's fireworks". Despite the protests of my parents, I would keep waiting up the whole night and go to school sleepy and tired the next day but it was all worth it.

One time, a lightning strike hit a bank of small metal grain silos in the distance behind my home. I was six years old. I was on video camera yelling "POP-CORN!" because corn was stored in those silos. Pop Weaver corn, from what I was told. My parents still have that on tape. Oh, the things I said on camera.

I remember one particular day in 1st grade when we had the hand of God fall upon the skies. You had a few boys and girls afraid of the thunder but others, like myself, were wowed by it and lined up at the window to see the pitch-black (or green, or purple) skies dropping over the massive field behind the school, despite our teacher's protest. The classroom went dark right after the flash of lightning. The lights surged on and off and one of the Gateway 2000 PCs running Windows 95, if I remember correctly (remember those?) fried itself. They were all powered off but the floppy drive on one of them made a seek noise due to the power surge. The substation near school apparently took a direct hit as it sat in the open fields near the highway. I imagine that the custodian wasn't happy because it also took out quite a bit of ballasts and bulbs in the building.

I miss the Midwest for a lot of reasons. The phenomenal storms are one of them. I'm lucky to get just a flash or two and a weaksauce rumble here in the PNW.

 

[tolivac]

I love storms,too!But from the comfort of inside or close to home on dry land.One time as a kid-we lived in Florida-both my Dad,Mom and stepparents.My Dad and us boys went out for a trip on his sailboat.As we know in Florida,storms can come up QUICK and without warning.there we were on the water-storm squal hit!-Dad trying to take down the sails,I was riding on the bow.Lightening striking all around us-its was scary seeing it hit the water-spots of steam blasting from the water where the lightening hit-yes the WORST place to be during such a storm is on a sailboat-I climbed back to the cockpit and wind blew the boat over-scared it was going to capsize.I made it back to the rear OK.From then on if there was a hint of storm forecast -we did not go out on the boat.My Mom had a motorboat-same thing.No boat rides if weather forecasts had the hint of storms.My Mom was on Coco Beach-Dad near Tampa.-Clearwater.Right now watch storms from in the house or in my garage.Eastern NC can be like Florida as far as the storms go.

 

[askolover]

I love storms too as long as there is no twisting involved!  A long medium rain falling and hearing the rumbles in the distance as the light show draws closer, getting the candles and lanterns ready just in case.  But if there's any rotational activity involved, forget it and let it go around us.

 

[vacerator]

Honey badger

don't care. If the sirens go off, he's outta there.