Springtime in Texas can be Brutal

2016/May by Marji Laine 2 Comments

Texas isn’t the only place that deals with ferocious thunderstorms, but I’m amazed that so many places don’t deal with such storm. A few friends of my son got waylaid not long ago on their way to a Mission conference. Thunderstorms had moved in closing the airport and causing excessive damage through a couple of the suburbs.

The severity passed about midnight, but the thunder continued to rumble through the night as cell after cell passed overhead. It was morning before I learned that the guests were from a rather arid part of California, and none of them had much experience with thunderstorms. The poor folks didn’t sleep at all.

Well, anyone living for long through the plains or the deep south is well aware of the beauty and terror that storms can sometimes offer. In fact, they can be so commonplace that folks will go outside with their cameras when they hear the storm sirens instead of going to their shelters.

Several years ago, my hubby was so inclined. He and dear boy stood on the porch looking into a solid line of blackness. Not even the lights of the city (we’re high enough that we have a pretty good view) showed through this black that was advancing toward them. So they moved inside and watched the black march closer. Until they realized that the pinging they were hearing on the roof was debris and not hail. They moved into the interior hallway next to the bathroom where Precious Redhead, Dink 1, Dink 2, and me were taking refuge.

Thankfully, we were fine, but the church at the end of our street had its roof ripped off.

Still, I can’t resist a beautiful storm, and seeing a tornado is downright amazing! Last night, the twins and I happened to be in the car as this brilliant storm built up about 50 miles to our northeast. We didn’t exactly storm chase, cause there was no way I wanted to get close enough to even get rained on. Perhaps the better term would be “storm cloud” chasing. And we got some great shots of the lightning all through that huge, puffy mushroom.

When the weather radio rings through my house, my nose goes to my online radar app, and I start praying for the people in the path of the storm. But I confess, I do love cloud parties. As long as they don’t get too violent. Now, if I could just get my dog to calm down. My favorite part of a storm is the lightning, especially off in the distance. Here in North Texas, we have a rather flat horizon so we can see it easily even far away.

I wish I could finish this post with a lovely tornado picture, but then again, I’m glad I haven’t been close enough to one of those recently for a photography session! LOL!

Your Turn: What’s your favorite part of thunderstorms: thunder, lightning, wind, rain, something else?