Sunday, September 03, 2006

Mostly written on battery power.

Weather irony ahead.

After all of the hype of Ernesto earlier this week, this afternoon’s "40% chance of rain” has been one of the hairiest storms I’ve seen in a long time. I was driving back from my mother’s house after a very pleasant and calorically intensive visit when my car hydroplaned for a few seconds on the 429, scaring the hell out of me. There is nothing like that sensation of suddenly floating sideways at 60 mph to get your heart rate up. The last half hour of the ride was quite scary, visibility was virtually nothing. It was amazing to look ahead at a very familiar landscape and see just a solid gray wall, lit by flashes hitting all around. We were all driving on faith into what looked like the end of the universe - the buildings, traffic lights, and brightly lit shopping centers had totally disappeared - weren't just dimmed by sheets of rain, they were GONE. The streets were flooded and scary, not scary like when idiots in SUVs drive at 19 mph because it's raining, ohmygawd, but water to the wheel wells flooded. I pulled into my neighborhood in that torrential rain, lightning striking all around me, and thought, “Oh good, the power is on!” Five minutes after I walked into the house, the power went out. It was out for over 2 hours.

I had the local weather on when the lights went out, and they were talking about scattered showers and showing Orlando under partly cloudy skies. I’m 10 miles from downtown, and it’s like the end of the world here. The random nature and the wild intensity of our localized afternoon showers never cease to amaze me.

The storm passed and I sat in the growing darkness and increasing stuffiness, waiting for the power to return. I almost gave up and went to Target to visit electricity, but just as I was preparing to go the power came on again.

I am tired, and I am curling up in bed with knitting and TV. Sorry, but it looks like I lied about the photos.

5 comments:

Debi said...

We've been having horrific storms down here too! Last night the lightening cracked so loudly in front of my condo it sounded like a car exploded! It's brutal, I can't believe you drove in it!!

Anonymous said...

It rained ALL day here, too. Not such violent storms as you had but constant downpour. Glad you made it home safe.

ChelleC said...

That sounds like a hair-raising drive. Glad you are safe and sound.

Anonymous said...

I often wonder why the wrath of a storm concentrates over the city leaving us out of the rain. Sunny skies are above me with no clouds in sight. We have some afternoon rain action daily. We need more!

zippiknits...sometimes said...

Wow what a storm. Not one that is likely to be forgotten anytime soon. We are on a mesa, and get storms like that because of it. Our house was hit one year and the bolt traveled down the ground wire and burnt it out at the box. The elms are down now, so it won't be that bad again, IhopeIhopeIhope. Glad you didn't have a log outage.