Post by bluepride on Aug 1, 2011 19:07:05 GMT -5
As a companion piece to"What Good Happened Today", I add this thread for what bad happened today. Let's hope there is more good happening than bad, but we can use this spot for appropriate postings.....
Anyway.....
On my way to my summer job. I knew I would run into some rain, but I didn't think I was going to run into the perfect storm. About 7-8 miles from home, the clouds darkened the sky and the sky opened up. The rain was the strongest I've seen it in a long time and it was pounding my car. Something hit the top of my car. I thought it was a stone or a branch. Then a torrent of baseball sized hail was raining down with the force of an explosion. It was strong and so loud that it sounded like gunshots. My fear was that my windshield would explode, so I kept my wipers on as high as I could. To maybe bat off the hail before it cracked my window. And I, like many others, pulled onto the nearest shoulder, under the trees, to escape the hail.
After a while I tried to get back onto the parkway to make my way to the nearest exit to find shelter. Before the exit was an overpass and of course, cars were stopped there so they could escape this storm. And this resulted in hundreds of cars being stuck behind them, getting the full brunt of this major rainstorm and hailstorm. Yes, I witnessed many, many blown out rear windows and I was praying that it wouldn't happen to me. I finally was able to get around this mass of inconsiderate drivers and made my way to the exit and the street. I broke a lot of traffic laws with U-turns, not signaling and a host of other things. It was every man for himself. I figured I'd try to get to a friend's house not too far away. (Mike O'D, who some of you know). Somehow I made it to his neighborhood, through the flooded streets. I managed to get to his street, which was flooded. Then I pulled into his driveway to find that his rear window was gone as well. Mine was still intact. Within 5 minutes of my arrival, his street was a virtual river. I put some towels and floor mats over my windows to at least try to prevent the hail from crashing through. I was soaked. He took my hat and shirt and threw them in his dryer. And then we just waited for either the rain to let up or the next disaster.
After a long wait, the rain started letting up and he was in contact with his family to assess their damages. My cell phone was useless when I called work to let them know I wasn't gonna make it. And trying to reach my own relatives was impossible.
Eventually I got a text to my boss to let him know what was happening. All I wanted to do was to get home and assess my own damage. To my car and my house. That would have to wait for a while, though. As the rain dissipated, neighbors appeared in the streets checking on each other and looking at the results of this storm.
Myself and Mike helped his next door neighbors who are pretty elderly, with some damage to their house. Their skylights had damage as the hail crashed through the glass. We got a ladder, plastic covering, duct tape and various other stuff to secure this couple's windows. We got that job done and then we checked our cars. At last count I had 17 dents, which I hope can be punched back out with the help of an auto body shop. I counted 12 dents on his car but I'm sure there are more. Then there's his blown out rear window. I'll check more thoroughly for my damage but tonight I want to just relax at home and drink some liquid medicine. Barley Pop to some of you! A LOT of it.
There was a LOT of damage to a lot of cars and homes that I witnessed. And there were people with no phones or electricity. I drove home using the long, long route but at least I made it home to find that there wasn't even a drizzle in my neighborhood.
If there is an upside to all of this, I guess it's that I didn't have to go to that g-ddamned job tonight!
Anyway.....
On my way to my summer job. I knew I would run into some rain, but I didn't think I was going to run into the perfect storm. About 7-8 miles from home, the clouds darkened the sky and the sky opened up. The rain was the strongest I've seen it in a long time and it was pounding my car. Something hit the top of my car. I thought it was a stone or a branch. Then a torrent of baseball sized hail was raining down with the force of an explosion. It was strong and so loud that it sounded like gunshots. My fear was that my windshield would explode, so I kept my wipers on as high as I could. To maybe bat off the hail before it cracked my window. And I, like many others, pulled onto the nearest shoulder, under the trees, to escape the hail.
After a while I tried to get back onto the parkway to make my way to the nearest exit to find shelter. Before the exit was an overpass and of course, cars were stopped there so they could escape this storm. And this resulted in hundreds of cars being stuck behind them, getting the full brunt of this major rainstorm and hailstorm. Yes, I witnessed many, many blown out rear windows and I was praying that it wouldn't happen to me. I finally was able to get around this mass of inconsiderate drivers and made my way to the exit and the street. I broke a lot of traffic laws with U-turns, not signaling and a host of other things. It was every man for himself. I figured I'd try to get to a friend's house not too far away. (Mike O'D, who some of you know). Somehow I made it to his neighborhood, through the flooded streets. I managed to get to his street, which was flooded. Then I pulled into his driveway to find that his rear window was gone as well. Mine was still intact. Within 5 minutes of my arrival, his street was a virtual river. I put some towels and floor mats over my windows to at least try to prevent the hail from crashing through. I was soaked. He took my hat and shirt and threw them in his dryer. And then we just waited for either the rain to let up or the next disaster.
After a long wait, the rain started letting up and he was in contact with his family to assess their damages. My cell phone was useless when I called work to let them know I wasn't gonna make it. And trying to reach my own relatives was impossible.
Eventually I got a text to my boss to let him know what was happening. All I wanted to do was to get home and assess my own damage. To my car and my house. That would have to wait for a while, though. As the rain dissipated, neighbors appeared in the streets checking on each other and looking at the results of this storm.
Myself and Mike helped his next door neighbors who are pretty elderly, with some damage to their house. Their skylights had damage as the hail crashed through the glass. We got a ladder, plastic covering, duct tape and various other stuff to secure this couple's windows. We got that job done and then we checked our cars. At last count I had 17 dents, which I hope can be punched back out with the help of an auto body shop. I counted 12 dents on his car but I'm sure there are more. Then there's his blown out rear window. I'll check more thoroughly for my damage but tonight I want to just relax at home and drink some liquid medicine. Barley Pop to some of you! A LOT of it.
There was a LOT of damage to a lot of cars and homes that I witnessed. And there were people with no phones or electricity. I drove home using the long, long route but at least I made it home to find that there wasn't even a drizzle in my neighborhood.
If there is an upside to all of this, I guess it's that I didn't have to go to that g-ddamned job tonight!