I just experienced the scariest T-storm EVER.

[BeachBaby]

At 5:50am, I was awakened by my Golden Retriever when she landed on my stomach. As it turns out, I fell asleep with the TV on last night - so as I was trying to get my dog off of me, the TV was doing the weather alert beeps.

Sunrise was at 5:38am, but you'd never know it. When I looked outside, it was dark as night. SCARY DARK. All the typical local news coverage ceased as the anchors were instead showing us the doppler radar and telling everyone to NOT go outside; to NOT drive; to NOT go to bus stops. And as I was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on, my entire town lost power.

Tremendous.

The first big boom woke up my kids, since it shook the whole house. And as I ran around the house closing windows, I saw them - large vertical bolts touching down on the farm fields across the road. Waaaayyyy too close for comfort (150 feet away).

Then, my cell phone rang. It was the school district's automated calling system, informing us that the buses would not be running on time, due to the fact that it was too risky. Turns out that trees were getting struck by lightning and falling into the roads. We were told to wait it out, and once the storm passed, we could either wait for the late bus, or drive our kids in ourselves.

After that, I heard the sirens. I saw emergency response vehicles gunning down the road - although I still don't know where they were headed. But there were many.

Forty-five minutes later, the black skies turned to gray, and I drove the kids to school. My Golden Retriever is out cold - that storm stressed the bejesus out of her.

I know how she feels. :scared:

What a way to start the day. :eyes:

[Left Is Write]

1. Yikes...

that's scary.

We don't get storms like that around here - what's considered wild weather here wouldn't be considered so wild in Minnesota, where I grew up.

I just watched a weather forecast which calls for sunshine today, but the air smells like thunderstorm.

Glad you're okay...give your Golden a little neck rub for me. :hug:

[BeachBaby]

6. Thanks, sweetie.

It ain't over yet, according to the weather reports - not as bad as this morning, but there's more to come.

My hands are still shaking - so much so that it's difficult for me to hold my coffee cup.

Bayleigh (the Golden) is still sleeping - for now, anyway. Thanks for the hug. :hug:

[Bertha Venation]

2. When lightning is that close, it is extremely frightening.

Glad you made it through. The day can only improve from here. Hope the Golden is okay.

:hug:

[BeachBaby]

7. VERY frightening.

This living-on-the-farm experience is all new to me. All this open land for lightning to touch down - I'm not used to that at ALL.

Thanks, hon. :hug:

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

3. We had a really bad one this morning

It was later though. Your storm must've worked it's away north.

[BeachBaby]

8. Yeah, I saw the track it was taking - leaving us and heading your way into NYC.

Hope that you, the wife and your furkids handled okay.

[siligut]

4. Wow, that is stressful.

Going to go to doppler radar see what the rest of the country is doing. Here in Seattle clear and about 52 degrees.

[BeachBaby]

9. The worst is over, thank goodness.

More storms coming, but not as extreme - according to the NWS.

[DS1]

5. I'm jealous

[BeachBaby]

11. Freak.

:P

[PRETZEL]

10. Must have gotten worse as it went east,

we got a real good one this morning also, but we didn't get as much lightning or hail that they were calling for.

Worst part was that I have to drive east to get to work.

[BeachBaby]

15. We didn't get the hail - but the lightning was off the charts.

I'm glad you made it into work okay. :hi:

[PRETZEL]

18. So am, I since

I don't have my computer at home anymore.
:hi:

[LostinVA]

12. I was driving to WORK during it

on NONJ highways -- eek!

[BeachBaby]

17. I was thinking about you and Haruka as I watched the radar.

It was clearly heading for you next. Glad you're okay. :hug:

[LostinVA]

22. It was like driving at the beginning of a hurricane

Which I have done. The sky literally became black in a nanosecond. :scared:

[TZ]

13. Yes I woke to thunder at 5:30am

Didn't get the worst at my house but it was bad enough. I didn't see Sophie until I left about 7:30 ( I was getting worried about her she usually greets me when I get up)...Smokie on the other hand was crawling all over me wanting attention....

[BeachBaby]

20. I figured you got hit, too.

The radar showed it coming from your region first. Glad you and the furkids are okay. :)

[Strong Atheist]

14. We got them here in N.Va. too, just not AS bad... still, a lot of lightning and

booms...

[Captain Hilts]

24. 6:20am Bethesda/ChevyChase had thunder the likes of which I haven't heard in a LONG time.

Set off all the car alarms.

[LynneSin]

16. OMG that one was nasty!!!

We had it bad in Wilmington. My cats were under the bed and yowling.

[BeachBaby]

25. You probably had it the same time I did.

I'm still wound up from it. Did you lose power?

[LynneSin]

26. No power was fine but I didn't want to use any power either

fearful of burning out my house or something. It's rare to have a storm like that so early in the morning.

I was going to take the bus today so I didn't have to worry about parking for the Italian Festival but instead drove in to work. I think I might just leave my car parked overnight and take the bus home.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

19. Same here.

I woke up around 4:00 AM to the incredibly loud sound of thunder. At first, I thought something had exploded outside.

:scared:

[skygazer]

21. They can be incredibly powerful

I'm glad the town had the good sense not to run the busses.

Storm stories - I was taking care of a friend's horses for her while she was away at a show one summer. I'd spent the day at the show with her and had just gotten back to the farm with my son who was about 6 or 7 at the time. The sky was threatening but it looked like the storm was still a long way off so I let the dogs out and ran in the bathroom to pee.

I'd just sat down when there was a deafening BOOM of thunder and all the lights went out. I charged out of the bathroom to see rain slicing down, thunder was booming, lightning was flashing and it was like some kind of nightmare. The horses were all out in the pasture so I had to get them in. I hollered for the dogs - only one came in - and my son and I raced down to the barn.

The barn was set up so you could just open the door and they could come right in but they wouldn't because the rain on the roof was so loud it was deafening and they were all milling around out in the pasture, terrified. I could see divots flying up further out where lightning was striking - it was an amazing storm. I thought if I could get the lead mare in, the rest would follow so I ran out and grabbed her by the fly mask and tried to coax her in but she wouldn't budge. So I called to my son to bring me a halter and lead. Poor kid, he was petrified but he knew I was never going to get those horses in without it. He grabbed one, took a deep breath, and ran out - handed it to me and ran back. It was one of the bravest things I've ever seen.

Got the halter on - horse still wouldn't budge. I tore my shirt off and wrapped it over her eyes and she finally let me lead her in - the others followed and I got them in their stalls.

I still had to get the stallion in and he was in a pasture about 200 yards down the road from the barn. I told my son to wait and ran down to his pasture where he was plunging around freaking out. Got the halter on him, opened the gate and we just ran flat out to the barn - the one and only time I'll ever keep up with a galloping horse!

Once we got them all settled in and fed and calmed down, we went back up to the house. The other dog was still missing, the power was out - it was insane. Then the neighbor on the hill opposite called and asked if we'd like to eat at their place - they had a wood stove and were making soup and sandwiches. When we got there, they told us they'd watched the whole thing out of their big window. They thought about coming out to help but, the man said, "Since we're both doctors and since it seemed pretty certain you were going to be struck by lightning, we figured we'd be needed more later." :P

I found the other dog the next day. She'd run 2 miles down the road in terror and been rescued by another neighbor.

[bikebloke]

23. Had it up here.

First, I was awoken by rumbling. Every time I'd start to drift off, it would rumble again. Finally, the world split open right next to my bed - or so it sounded. I usually sleep through apocalyptic storms, even it tents. Well, I never did get back to sleep.

[driver8]

27. Those can be VERY scary!! I remember one when I was in college that

I thought was going to rip the roof right off my apartment!!

[Kajsa]

28. I'm glad you're OK, BB!

We had an intense one at 2AM last Wednesday morning.

Woke up to hear distant thunder, see flashes- WTH?
in JUNE?- in coastal SoCal?- VERY unusual weather!!

A large cell moved past Catalina Island and headed straight
for Newport Beach/Costa Mesa.

I turned off and unplugged all the surge strips when the lights
when off/on-off/on.
The whole family was awake.

Grabbed Nemo ( my kitty) and we all hunkered down in bed, counting down
between flashes.
At one point, we never made it to -one-
Flash- POW!!! Building shook, all the car alarms went off and
everyone around here woke up.
Intense rain for 20 minutes followed.

Lightning blew out a transformer- no power for three hours.
We got the direct hit where I live.

This is very weird weather for June, around here.

Yes! it is scary!

I'm glad you are OK.

:)

[BlueIris]

29. Woah, that's messed up. nt

[lost-in-nj]

30. had it bad here to

couple of fire calls of houses getting struck and wires and trees down...
the thunder rumbled on for ever
glad everyone is ok


:hi:


lost

[CreekDog]

31. The scariest t-storms I've ever seen were all in Tucson

ask PiGuy about the lightning there. :wtf: :hide:

the lack of storm sewers throughout the city added yet more drama to summer thunderstorms. (many streets like the one I lived on had a V-shaped surface so that when it rained, the center of the street would fill and water would course it's way out of town).

[dixiegrrrrl]

32. Poor Golden. My heart goes out to her.

Our vet prescribes Valium.
It takes 20 mg. to unstress our Golden during the bad storms.
He has not been thru a hurricane yet.
20 mg !! Then he just lies there and pants a lot.
10 mg puts me to sleep for the entire night.