Wednesday, June 3, 2009

A fierce wind blows

Spring storms are nothing new in the flatlands, but this year has seemed wetter and windier than most. Maybe it's because my memory is shot and I can't recall the seasonal tempests from years past. Here are a few pictures of what yesterday's weather brought us.

A view from the inside.



A view from the outside.



The winds actually blew off the side of a downtown hotel.



Clouds that look pretty menacing.



Storms here are very spotty. You can have severe damage in one neighborhood and nothing a couple of miles over. I was in the Central West End just as the storm broke. I stepped out of a high rise building (which I swear is built on a vortex) and almost got blown down. As I was reaching for a tree to hug, I watched a HUGE dumpster roll past me. Honest. But as I walked the two blocks to where I was parked, the winds diminished and I could drive with only minimal shaking of the car.

Typically the winds don't bother me and I love a good thunderstorm. I lived in California for a few years and was constantly in fear of earthquakes. When I told friends I was moving back to the Midwest, they cried in horror..."But they have tornadoes there!"

To each their own.

From the storm shelter, this is Pyzahn reporting on weather in the flatlands.


Photo credits: St. Louis Post-Dispatch


NOTE: No, this isn't my house. It's about five miles from where I live.

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13 comments:

Cynthia L. H. said...

I'm so sorry about the damage to your house! That's a wild one! I hope all goes well and swiftly with the clean-up and insurance, etc...
Cynthia

debra said...

WOW. Nature's power is amazing. Is that your house?

Anonymous said...

Yikes! That's a rude intrusion into the pad by Mommy Nature, eh? I love a good thunderstorm also - like to sit out on the gazebo and challenge god to "bring it on!" lol

But tornados? No. That's where I get off. Down in the basement I go to cower till it passes over.

Hope you got your homeowner's insurance paid up!

The Old Silly from Free Spirit Blog

JC said...

Yikes ... we always worry about the trees when we have bad wind storm. (I live surrounded by lots of trees) A couple of years ago we had 4 go down but they only took out fence and one landed on the deck missing the hot tub by inches.

Close ... enough for me.

Glad it wasn't your house.

Jo said...

OMG I hope you survive the storm. Have to ask how do the dogs cope?

ds said...

Whoa. Glad you are all right--and that that was NOT a picture of your house!(though I feel very badly for the owners)Nature's ferocity never ceases to amaze/scare the bejeezus out of me!

drollgirl said...

FFFFFFFFFFFUCK!!! i am so glad that isn't your house! i am in earthquake land, and i think i'll stick with this over that.

glad you are ok!!!!!!!!!

Nancy said...

We live in Nevada - issues with earthquakes. When we lived in Portland, OR we worried about mud slides and Mt. St. Helen blowing her top again, and in the Twin Cities it was tornados. Each place it's own, I guess.

I'm so glad that wasn't your house!

Andrea said...

OMG - glad you're ok. Weather can be unbelievably crazy - and scary! I lived in Mississippi for 4 years and one spring there seemed to be tornadoes everyday. It was frightening!

Cormac Brown said...

Stay dry and above all, stay intact.

Kathleen said...

Whew! I didn't realize I was holding my breath till I got to the note. I can see why you said what you said about the rain!

Rudee said...

I'm glad it missed you, my dear. Those poor people living with the tree in their home though... ouch.

we_be_toys said...

"Unusual weather we're having, ain't it?"
-Cowardly Lion, "The Wizard of Oz"

Glad that wasn't your house, but oh! those poor people. Yeah girl, give me the tornados and hurricanes over earthquakes anyday!