Finished a meeting at the church last night about 9:00 p.m.
My oldest daughter and myself walked out into the parking lot observing
lightening strikes and an approaching storm moving in fast.
I looked at my cell and notice my husband had called.
Figured it must be do to the storm and returned his phone call.
He reports we have had torrential down pour and lots of hail (all sizes), and to proceed with caution. That should have been my first clue.
I tell daughter #1 we will get something to eat (as we haven't eaten supper yet).
We pull through Subway for a $5 sub and an ice tea (as I am still off of Dr. Pepper)
and we head out.
We every flash of lightening (about 4 seconds apart) I can observe the storm clouds.
On the edge of city limits I decide to go back to the bank and park under the awning
(new pick up +hail = not good).
We sit there for about 10 minutes and nothing but small rain.
I decide we need to get on the other side of the big black cloud.
Because big black clouds = funnel clouds and hail.
Because I never went to college to become a meteorologist
I am so full of wisdom at this point.
We make a run for it.
We live about 18 miles straight west of town and another mile to the north.
Rain drops get bigger and bigger. About three miles out I tell my daughter this probably wasn't the best idea.
Torrential down pour begins, hail of all sizes fall.
Not a good idea. Can not see to turn back, so I keep going thinking I will drive out of it.
Because I missed the part of the phone call with my husband
when he DIDN'T tell me that it was still hailing and raining at home.
The farther from town the worse it got.
Neighbors kept turning into their drives, we kept going.
At several points on the paved road we drove through running water.
Way past committed to going back to town at this point.
Turn on the dirt road (8 miles of it),
because it's down hill at this point, water is running every where.
We trudge slowly through the 8 miles of dirt/mud all the while it's storming full force.
Hail, rain, wind, lightening.
Water was over the road many times, but we kept going
and going.
We turn north onto our lane,
it's about 3/4 of mile to the house.
We drive across the pasture as the
road is completely under water.
I get to the gate at the house and wait for a break in the storm.
Jump out to open the blasted gate.
Leave the blasted gate open, not caring at this point if the cows get into the yard and
eat my garden.
Make a another run to to the house about 500 yards.
Home safe and sound.
Thank god.
At this point it is still torrential down pour and hailing.
Talked to Sister One and they had an electric pole down in
her yard. She lives maybe 20 miles west of me (as a crow flies).
Finally about 11:00 p.m. we go to bed.
The phone is ringing. Look at the clock it's after midnight.
Answer the phone (after finding it).
Our friends are on the way home from the bluff's and are stuck down
by our pivots about 6 miles south west of our house.
Husband drags my tired butt out of bed to go with him.
Daughter # 1 is not staying home by herself.
She comes along.
Daughter # 2 is at camp 60 miles north of us.
We hop in the pickup to go see if we can even get them out with the tractor.
Water is up to the road on both sides but not running over.
We can see their headlights in the distance, we keep going.
We can pull up to a 1/4 mile from them. A raging river between them and us.
We decide to pull into the pasture on the north side of the road.
We are able to drive within 20 feet of them up on the north side of raging road/river.
The pickup is completely surrounded by raging water at this point. They abandon ship and trudge over to us. Leaving their ship stranded until morning.
(they pulled it out with the tractor).
We turn back to the ranch, drop them off and head home again.
We make it home.
By morning light:
Our wheat field (where we rescued our friends and dogs) gone.
Corn field (where we rescued our friends and dogs )..... the verdict is still out.
The radio says our road is closed.
I think they mean it's where we rescued our friends and dogs.
I head out. A short drive from our turn off the road is broken up and not
passable very easily. I make it through.
Thinking I shouldn't have done that. On the other side is the county road sign
stating the road is closed.
Oops.
The following pictures are the roads and fields on the way to town.
From the ranch to about 9 miles east of us is where the most damage is.
The east side being worse than our west side.
(make sense???)
This is a deep draw about 15-20 feet drop on both sides of the road about
six miles east of our turn.
Never have I seen water standing in it. Let alone half full.
A farmer's field about where the neighbors
began turning into their drives the night before.
More ditch water.
Or field water.
Or river water?
Still water across the road this morning.
This is the county road to my boss' home.
He claims to have made it through this morning in his
VW bug.
I don't believe him.
And still more water.
And more water.
I didn't drive through this.
It's actually a north/ south road.
I was traveling on the east/west road.
The forecast for tonight.
More storms.
