1) Worst ever? Easy, a nasty thunderstorm in the waters off Point Judith, RI, back in 1994. We had to lower the sails in a lightning filled T-storm with near hurricane wind gusts. The mainsail was ruptured, electronics were damaged, and the consideration of a lightning strike was huge. And I was at the wheel, totally exposed, during the fury, and would have been toast had lightning struck. It didn't, but the damage cost almost $5K to repair. Costly, but we were able to salvage that week with no time lost...we were able to make Block Island after the storm passed, and put into port there for repairs while partying for the next few days. There are worse places to be stranded...
2) Worst weather while hobbying? Not so easy...there was an evening when I had to travel 40 miles, white knuckle all the way, to see my ATF. Then, there was the evening I left into the teeth of a T-storm, with flash floods that made leaving difficult...thank God I had an SUV back then...
Got caught driving in an intense but brief hail storm back in my college days. I thought the windshield would disintegrate, and the sound was incredibly loud. Car had lots of 'dimples' in it after that storm.
Nantucket...I didn't get off the Island...I actually thought I was going to die...I was Never sooo scared in my Life...but I survived...there was about a 100 of us who didn't get off...and We all agreed...it was the longest night ever...lesson learned...when they tell You to leave...You move and You don't hestitate
This year's back to back blizzards of 70 plus inches kinda suck. There was a hurricane here in the 70s I have fond memories of. Laid in a ditch once and watched a tornado go by (that was scary) But I think the worst was back to back hurricanes in NC around 1998 or 99 and the flooding that kept getting worse and worse for weeks. Over 600 roads closed including 95. Watching the water rise and being able to do nothing.
Obviously nothing compared to what New Orleans went through.
I've lived in LA so that's earthquakes and fire storms, then lived in Ft. Lauderdale so I've been thru a couple of hurrincanes including Andrew. Lived in Colorado been caught in a couple of snow storms on I70 (Vail Pass) that became white outs, couldn't see the front of the car.
Got caught on top of a mountain during a summer monsoon lightning storm that moved in fast. Every time I tried to run off the mountain, lighting would seemingly strike in my path. I'd drop down into a draw (lower ground) where I thought I'd be safe, and it would strike there. I ended up running back up to a rocky overhang near the top that I thought would provide some shelter. These storms usually passed in 5 or 10 minutes.
That storm hung overhead for almost an hour. Multiple lightning strikes. My ears were ringing and my nerves were fried. Longest hour of my life. I did not think I was going to make it out of that one alive. Got back to camp at the bottom of the mountain, and numerous trees had been hit. Over the next day of walking around, I saw well over 20 trees which were hit in the immediate area.
Used to love to watch lighting storms. Now I head for shelter at the first rumble of thunder. Very traumatic, and left a lasting impression on me. I'm no longer fond of lighting storms.
my crazy ass dad would load us kids up in his pickup truck and chase twisters all over the countryside! It was great! dang! that was thrilling for a little girl!! One time we came back and found the house had been lifted off the foundation and set back down. Not alot of damage...just a few bricks in one corner of the house were busted but otherwise all was okay. The neighbors did not come out so well. Took the entire barn and 1 other out-building completely down.
In MN, we get all kinds of awful weather. In Jan 1975, I was 12 (I remember becuz jan is my bday, we had one of the worst blizzards in MN history!! Lasted 3 days and closed nearly every road in the state! Some for 10 days---20 foot drifts! People found frozen to death and/or frostbitten in stranded cars. Cars found days later completely covered in snow. winds up to 80 mph, people died not just from the weather but from sickness and not being able to get to medical care. Ambulances couldn't get through.
It made for freaking awesome snowmobiling and sledding though. It was like sledding down a mountain. My Dad has the old home movies of us kids playing in snowforts. We had soooo much snow in our yard. We dug tunnels in it! Of course, there's been many blizzards since then but that's the first big one that I remember...mostly cuz it was so close to my birthday.
In 1991, we had the big Halloween Blizzard and Ice Storm! 28 inches of snow at the airport. Left us without electricity for several days! 3 inches of ice on my car. Sucked big time. Roads closed.
Tornados, Blizzards, Ice Storms, River Floodings, Hail Storms, Flash Floods, Sweltering Heat and Humidity (people die in our heat waves).
When I visited my sister in FL, there was a Hurricane approaching. It switched direction before it got too close to the mainland but even so we did experience the rain and the wind. I am glad sis moved home.
Actually, living is Cali, many earthquakes, but worst was the Loma Prieta in 1989 where the chimney of the fireplace in the house we were living fell into the bedroom, crashed through the floor and landed in the kitchen. Fortunately we were outside when it happened. THen in '94 the Northridge quake, we were a mile from the freeway bridged that collapsed. We heard it, but we also were in the middle of all the fires caused by it.
Want to see what happens when a tornado strikes a train? Check this link out, give it about 30 seconds to get going.
but we seem to have 'Earthquake Weather' here. Usually mid-Oct to mid-Nov, the first hot spell after the first cool spell after summer. Most of the major earthquakes seem to happen during this time.
1) Worst ever? Easy, a nasty thunderstorm in the waters off Point Judith, RI, back in 1994. We had to lower the sails in a lightning filled T-storm with near hurricane wind gusts. The mainsail was ruptured, electronics were damaged, and the consideration of a lightning strike was huge. And I was at the wheel, totally exposed, during the fury, and would have been toast had lightning struck. It didn't, but the damage cost almost $5K to repair. Costly, but we were able to salvage that week with no time lost...we were able to make Block Island after the storm passed, and put into port there for repairs while partying for the next few days. There are worse places to be stranded...
2) Worst weather while hobbying? Not so easy...there was an evening when I had to travel 40 miles, white knuckle all the way, to see my ATF. Then, there was the evening I left into the teeth of a T-storm, with flash floods that made leaving difficult...thank God I had an SUV back then...
Thought nothing could touch me in Orlando but that proved wrong 5 years ago. 1 month 4 storms with no power and tempertures in high 90's. We where very lucky that year other in the gulf lost everything.
Another year of so called active weather is upon us
It's as if you are driving blind, and you don't know whether to stop and maybe get slammed from behind by a car that won't see you or keep going by detecting the should of the road with the sound from your tires.
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