Sat/Sun TeaDay 8/27-28/11 Your Storm of the Century?

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Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the eastern seaboard of the USA. It could be a wild ride for millions. Made me wonder, what was your most memorable storm? Please share.

It was a hurricane
6
33%
tornado
2
11%
snow blizzard
5
28%
ice storm
1
6%
sandstorm or similar
0
No votes
Other
4
22%
 
Total votes: 18

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Aug 27th, '11, 03:13
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Sat/Sun TeaDay 8/27-28/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by Chip » Aug 27th, '11, 03:13

Welcome to TeaDay, everyone. Please stop in and share what is in your cup throughout the day. Also discuss the topic of the day.

Yesterday we discussed "first things first." Please continue to discuss yesterday's topic.

Today's non TeaPoll and discussion topic. Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the eastern seaboard of the USA. It could be a wild ride for millions. Made me wonder, what was your most memorable storm? Please share.

We are looking forward to sharing this TeaDay with everyone. Bottoms up.

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Aug 27th, '11, 10:00
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11

by JBaymore » Aug 27th, '11, 10:00

The "Blizzard of 78".

My wife and I were still working in Boston then but, like many, living in southern NH. I was working at Mass College of Art, she was right next door at Beth Israel Hospital.

I left for home less than 1/2 hour before she did. I JUST got thru before they closed the Boston area highways....... she did not.

I was in 4WD and trying to thread my way around all the stalled cars on Route 128. It was ugly. They couldn't keep up with plowing... so if you didn't have 4WD... you were sunk.

She lived for a couple of days in the hospital doing multiple shifts straight and using scrubs for clothing. I was digging out (days before owning a snowblower) driveway and sidewalks and shoveling the roofs and keeping the wood stoves going full steam to keep the pipes from freezing since we had no power.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeaste ... rd_of_1978

best,

...............john

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Aug 27th, '11, 10:23
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11

by Chip » Aug 27th, '11, 10:23

Easily, the blizzard of '96. 34" of snow fell, with most of this overnight. I had shoveled out late the night before, hoping to get a head start for the morning. Upon waking up, the Mrs. pointed me to the window, it was a jaw dropping experience. I went to bed with ~12" on the ground and a good feeling that I was ahead of the shoveling game.

I woke up to complete stillness. There was absolutely nothing moving outside, and there would be nothing to pass by to clear our road for several days (and we live less than .5 miles from the Township buildings and are usually first to be cleared), and then it was only for emergency vehicles.

The region was simply not equiped to deal with anything like this. A big snow here is 12-18" with a then previous record of 24".
History of Reading, PA wrote:Blizzard of January 1996: If Agnes submerged us, the 34-inch snowstorm of Jan. 6-7 buried us and literally froze us in place. It not only was the heaviest snowfall ever, by 10 inches, it was the catalyst for the snowiest January on record, snowiest winter (85 inches) and, eventually, the second-wettest year on record. What turned out to be the real winter storm of the century caused traffic to be banned on roads, schools to close for a week, and business and transportation to wheeze to a standstill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Amer ... rd_of_1996

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Aug 27th, '11, 11:47
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11

by debunix » Aug 27th, '11, 11:47

Two very memorable storms for me: the first was in San Francisco, in 1995, a storm with very heavy rain and high winds (up to 100 mph recorded on Angel Island in the middle of the bay that night). I took the bus home from work and could barely walk the 2 blocks to my house because the wind kept trying to knock me over, and I got soaked because my umbrella got turned inside out by the wind. The wind where I was was nowhere near 100 mph, but it was as strong as I've ever experienced outside of a few experiences while skiing. We had a fence down and some minor damage to the garden, but my first ride to work through Golden Gate Park was quite amazing with lots of downed trees.

The other most memorable was an ice storm when I lived in St. Louis, having never seen anything remotely like that growing up in California. I was very lucky, because I did not lose power, but friends were without it for days. I had no need to drive anywhere, and time enough to go walking in the park and enjoy the spectacular sight of everything coated in sparkling ice.

Image
Enchantment ahead by debunix, on Flickr

Image

Image

Sencha to start the day today.

Aug 27th, '11, 12:32
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by Missdekitty » Aug 27th, '11, 12:32

I haven't been through too many storms, but the most memorable yet had to be Hurrican Ike. We had just purchased our home and had to deal with roof damage, 3/4 of our fence down (with a bulldog that loves to roam if left unsupervised for more than 2 minutes), uprooted trees, not to mention being without electricity for 21 days.

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Aug 27th, '11, 17:58
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by Herb_Master » Aug 27th, '11, 17:58

Not a Storm - But

Other - A Bolt From The Blue

In May 1992 I was on a cycling holiday in the Sierra De Aracena, at the weekend lots of well dressed tourists arrived in the town of Aracena.
It transpired that they were hosts and hostesses from the Seville World Expo. In conversation with some very pretty girls, it transpired that the majority of the hostesses headed for the remote coastal resort of Matalascanas at the weekends.

2 Weeks later I was down on the coast at Huelva (where Christopher Columbus sailed from) and decided on a day trip to Matalascanas :wink:
The 50 km road followed very close to the coast, but for one 20km stretch it bisected a forest, whilst on this stretch and suffering under 35 degree C temperature I heard noises far behind me as Dark Clouds intimated that a Thunderstorm was travelling in the same direction as me.

10km later with me pedalling furiously it caught up with me -
a bolt of lightening hit the tarmac 10 yds behind me - along the road up through the handlebars and I landed 6 feet away from the bike.

Shaken but otherwise unhurt I sheltered from heavy rain in the entrance hut to a large campsite - 15 minutes later blue skies and sun accompanied me all the way to Matalascanas.

The resort was deserted, noone had come from Seville this weekend.

My return home was aggravated by a snapped chain 15km from Huelva :cry: As I was pedalling one footed and using the bike as a child's scooter, a Ford transit stooped and offered me a lift, they dropped me off at a Used Tyre Business - the owner of which they said - did bicycle repairs as a sideline.

New Chain fitted - cost $1
Labour charge Zero :roll: I was laughing :lol:

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Aug 27th, '11, 18:11
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by gargoylekitty » Aug 27th, '11, 18:11

Hurricane Bonnie in '98 and Isabel in '03, I suppose would be the top two though perhaps this one will take it? Then again Hurricane Ernesto flooded my entire neighborhood in '06. That was memorable.

Anyhow, half the houses around here are currently without power and a few houses in the area have already gotten a bit of damage from the tornadoes this morning. Work was cancelled today and might be tomorrow as well and the stores have been sucked dry of all essentials. :roll:

I'm just sitting here drinking some gyokuro, figured I should tea it up while the power still works, and trying to get some painting and digital drawing done while I can.

Aug 28th, '11, 00:28
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by strickmr » Aug 28th, '11, 00:28

When I was younger, we had an F3 tornado tear through our small town. There was a mild loss of power and a 40 foot tree was uprooted and moved about five to ten feet from its hole in our back yard. There was significant damage to the town, including the fire station being completely destroyed. Luckily, there were no deaths but several injuries.

Heck, now that I think about it, I've been in a lot of bad storms.

1) Flash flood in Las Vegas
2) Several major ice storms
3) A dust storm that completely blacked out the sky
4) Two terrible blizzards when I lived in NYC.
5) Numerous other (not as memorable) tornado experiences

....they seem to follow me.

Aug 28th, '11, 00:42
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by caplady1225 » Aug 28th, '11, 00:42

irene currently here...
lets see winter before last we had 2 - 2 ft snow storms
blizzard/ice storm of 1996


i'm under 30 that's all i can remember

today's tea green sencha w/ peppermint leaf from my garden :)

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Aug 28th, '11, 00:52
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by entropyembrace » Aug 28th, '11, 00:52

For me it was just a pretty ordinary thunderstorm...what made it memorable was I found myself standing directly underneath a funnel cloud... It didn´t have enough energy to be really dangerous but it was still really impressive from the view that I had of it :shock:

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Aug 28th, '11, 01:04
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by karmaplace » Aug 28th, '11, 01:04

I remember a pretty big nor'easter blizzard from my childhood, and I'm pretty sure it's the Christmas 1994 nor'easter, though I'm not 100% sure since I was only six at the time.

I remember the playground being completely covered in snow, and that they pushed all the snow off to one side of the blacktop and made a huge mountainous wall of snow that all the kids then proceeded to climb and make tunnels through.

I think this photo was taken around that time, of my little brother out in the snow, but long after the storm had moved on.
n16116783_32095130_184.jpg
n16116783_32095130_184.jpg (44.51 KiB) Viewed 3368 times
No tea yet today, but I'm finally going to break the drought!

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Aug 28th, '11, 01:27
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by Chip » Aug 28th, '11, 01:27

I am enjoying everyone's storm stories! And the photos! Thanks!!

Great TD began with Organic Kagoshima Asamushi from the O-C with the Mrs. Then a pre hurricane picnic, brought tea and all the tools of the trade. Yame shincha and Guricha, both from Xell made the trip.

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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by Chip » Aug 28th, '11, 01:29

Hurricane Irene will continue for around 24 more hours ... and so shall this TeaDay.

Please stop in and share what is in your cup throughout the day.

Also continue to share storm memories.

And feel free to throw a new topic in the mix, this is our TeaRoom after all.

Bottoms up.

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Aug 28th, '11, 01:42
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by SlientSipper » Aug 28th, '11, 01:42

When I was 17 I saw a cylone in Canada.
Oh man that was freaky. Even though I was far far off. I could see it.
The sky turned yellow and some crazy hail proceeded it.

Secondly, I walked through a moderate sand storm.
Even though, I closed my mouth sand still got stuck between my teeth.
It felt surreal to witness all that sand at my feet.

Good times.

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Aug 28th, '11, 09:49
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Re: Saturday TeaDay 8/27/11 Your Storm of the Century?

by gingkoseto » Aug 28th, '11, 09:49

To me it was the 1998 labor day weekend hurricane in central NY. It was in my first month in the States. We lost electricity for 4 days, public transportation for 2 days. We got free meals from school. We had tree trunks all over the roads. My mentor said to me, welcome to the country! :lol:

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