This weather is awful!! 2008-2021

[Bestwifeever]

Still here. Our area will be without power for 3-5 days. Massive damage south and west of us. Yesterday was crazy... and it was my birthday!

Umm, happy birthday? Stay safe!

I guess I won't complain about the rain, chill, and general gloominess that has been Chicago for the entire month of April.

 

[steelyman]

Still here. Our area will be without power for 3-5 days. Massive damage south and west of us. Yesterday was crazy... and it was my birthday!

Thank heaven! You are allowed to take a rain check on birthday celebration until things return to normal. The title of this thread is an understatement. What a year 2011 has been so far... it is good to read you are OK.

 

[simple girl]

Unbelievable weather yesterday. Tornado's touched down all around my area, but nothing like Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. Hope FD and Simple Girl report in today. I think I heard around 150 were killed through out the south yesterday.

Hey all - I did check in on the "what did you do today" thread, but I forgot to check in here. We are safe and sound. Yesterday was the scariest thing I have ever been through in my life. At one point we thought the big one (the mile-wide one) was heading for us...then it turned more north and west - destroying everything in it's path just 18 miles from where we live here in B'ham. We saw debri floating down from the sky. So, so sad. Death toll now 204.

The local news reports are horrific to watch. We are all still in sort of a state of shock here in AL. Thanks for caring about us!

 

[W2R]

I am so glad that you are OK, Simple Girl! What a terrible disaster. You too, Dawg - - you know I worry about our ER forum "family".

 

[bruce1]

Many small branches and other stuff to clean up after yesterdays wind and power outages but nothing major. Many downed trees in the area but so much luckier than other areas.

 

[Meadbh]

May 1, and blowing snow. Only in Canada!

 

[Nodak]

May 1, and blowing snow. Only in Canada!

Here too, it was 70 on Friday this morning it's 25.

 

[FIREd]

Can you go on vacation to someplace with power for about 3-5 days? Sounds like a good time to get away.

We decided to hunker down at home to protect the homestead. After many burglaries the first night, the authorities have imposed a curfew. It's been 4 days without power. But things are improving. The wireless networks are back up and running and the landline phone is working. We are conserving gas and water as well as the battery power in our electronics. It looks like it could be another 4-5 days before power is restored.

 

[simple girl]

We decided to hunker down at home to protect the homestead. Aftere many burglaries the first night, the authorities have instored a cerfew. It's been 4 days without power. But things are improving. The wireless networks are back up and running and the landline phone is working. We are conserving gas and water as well as the battery power in our electronics. It looks like it could be another 4-5 days before power is restored.

WOW. FD, that is just, wow!

We went out today and volunteered in one of the disaster zones down here in B'ham. I saw so much goodness re: donations and volunteers today. The looting is just unfathomable to me in the wake of this devastation.

I guess the power being out this long explains why I haven't heard from my other friend in Huntsville. Thanks - it gives me some measure of comfort that he's hopefully ok!

 

[bbbamI]

FD and simple girl...I feel for y'all. Seems like there are many people missing too.

It rained all night last night and will rain all day today at my abode. It's currently 47 degrees. I know I'm in my house in the same area...but still....

 

[simple girl]

I guess the power being out this long explains why I haven't heard from my other friend in Huntsville. Thanks - it gives me some measure of comfort that he's hopefully ok!

FD and simple girl...I feel for y'all. Seems like there are many people missing too.

Thanks!! Just found out this morning that my friend and his family are fine. What a relief!

 

[ziggy29]

I think the air mass that hit Canada and the Dakotas with snow has hit Texas. It's May here and it's barely over 50. Not to mention the inch of glorious rain it sent our way, but we need a lot more...

 

[REWahoo]

I think the air mass that hit Canada and the Dakotas with snow has hit Texas. It's May here and it's barely over 50. Not to mention the inch of glorious rain it sent our way, but we need a lot more...

Down here a few miles to your south, we got the cool temps - but not a drop of rain...

 

[FIREd]

Yeah, the power is back!

The way people have responded to the crisis so far has been exemplary (except for the freaking looters). Citizens, churches, governments (local, state and federal), businesses, NGOs, local media, and utilities have all done an amazing job of organizing the rescue, cleanup and recovery efforts. Working together can yield such incredible results. A big thanks to everyone who helped and is still helping! There is still much left to be done!

 

[W2R]

So glad to hear your power is back! That will really help in the rebuilding, too.

 

[davemartin88]

I'm in West Virginia and bought a new telescope a couple of weeks ago- since then, only one clear night and that didn't start until nearly midnight, way after my bedtime! It's a known fact that if you buy new astronomy equipment, you're dooming the weather for a short time- since I was at the North East Astronomy Forum in New York a couple of weeks back with hundreds of others that were buying new equipment as well, the east coast is probably doomed to clouds for a while!

I really like to observe in the winter when it's dark by 6pm.

 

[Khan]

Another inch of rain today...

 

[freebird5825]

It did not snow today.

 

[Meadbh]

May 1, and blowing snow. Only in Canada!

OTOH, May 2 was a beautiful day!

 

[Khan]

It's still raining...

 

[steelyman]

It was completely gorgeous here today, currently bright sunshine and 72 degrees . I am soooo glad winter is over and I hope many of the e-r group are also experiencing the welcome entrance of spring/summer.

 

[Nodak]

Had our first day of the year above 70 degrees and it looks like our first thunderstorm is building in the west.

 

[W2R]

The weather here is lovely.

In two weeks, the Mississippi River flooding is supposed to reach us. However, there are plans to open the Morganza spillway and the Bonnet Carre spillway, to lessen its impact upon Baton Rouge and New Orleans (respectively). These spillways divert the Mississippi excess down the Atchafalaya basin, so instead of flooding New Orleans some other, smaller towns will be flooded. Hardly seems fair but that is what they do.

I am a little nervous about flooding after reading about what is happening to our north, but F. says it will not affect us. Since he has lived here all of his life, he has a pretty good handle on these things.

 

[steelyman]

The weather here is lovely.

In two weeks, the Mississippi River flooding is supposed to reach us. However, there are plans to open the Morganza spillway and the Bonnet Carre spillway, to lessen its impact upon Baton Rouge and New Orleans (respectively). These spillways divert the Mississippi excess down the Atchafalaya basin, so instead of flooding New Orleans some other, smaller towns will be flooded. Hardly seems fair but that is what they do.

I am a little nervous about flooding after reading about what is happening to our north, but F. says it will not affect us. Since he has lived here all of his life, he has a pretty good handle on these things.

I find it amazing that you can spell all those names .

Here in Illinois, we are blasting levees, and happy to spell "Chicago".

Still, one of my favorite songs is "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans".

 

[W2R]

Well, who knows if I spelled them correctly?

The Bonnet Carre spillway just upstream from New Orleans was opened yesterday, allowing water to flow from the river into Lake Ponchartrain. Tourists take note: the changes in freshwater flow accompanying the opening of the Bonnet Carre always takes a big toll on oysters, which generally die from changes in salinity due to the fresh water diversion. So, oysters will be expensive and/or hard to get for a while. We noticed yesterday that anything with oysters is already $3 more than usual at a favorite restaurant, in anticipation of the oyster kill.

Oddly, the Morganza spillway just north of Baton Rouge (and further upstream from us than the Bonnet Carre) has NOT been opened yet. Rumor has it that the Corps of Engineers is ready to do it but is still waiting for approvals from the Mississippi River Commission. Opening the Morganza is a Big Deal due to all the flooding it will cause in smaller towns, and it has only been done once, back in 1973.