Misconstrued Thoughts : Yesterday's Misconstrued Thoughts Today

So ever since I was a kid the large clap of thunder that often sends people reeling, has always taken me to the window, or outside into mud puddles to play. I still remember playing in the lil creek that would form to the side of our house in a big rain storm. I'd head out, lightening and all, at least until mom saw it.

Anyways, here 22 years later is anything different??

No not at all. So Friday bad storms were headed into Alabama. I called up one of the individuals in the NASA Weather Environments group to see if he was storm chasing. He was, and the chase was on.

We headed to North Mississippi where it was a sunny day, when a general gloominess but nothing major. To the untrained eye (mine) it appeared nothing was going to happen. Yet in a matter of an hour, things changed quickly. Black skies grew, and we found ourselves racing for the Alabama line, to be on the East side of the storm (to prevent being trapped away from home).

As we sat there, we discovered the Huntsville weather stations had the same plan as us, as they sat in the same parking lot, watching an area which would turn into a tornado. We raced further east, trying to stay ahead of the storm, and as we looked up, we saw an average cloud, turn into a swirling motion, the beginning of a tornado. In a matter of minutes this area swelled from a small cloud to a massive entity moving North East at 50-60 mph. Sirens blaring, we headed ever quicker to the east.

This storm past, another rolled into its place, and the front winds of the down falling cold front hit us with 60-70 mph winds. The winds blew the lens cap I held out of my hands, off never to be seen again. And just standing was nearly impossible. Rains came quickly to, there was nothing much we could do but drive with lighting speed to the east.

We couldn't stay ahead of this storm, lightening, hail, and massive rain fell on us. But I would return home. In fact Huntsville had a nice share of hail and bad weather too. In fact as I drove home, there on the radio it was announced "If you are in your car, escape now! Go lie in a ditch! Now this is what you must do!"

Lie in a ditch? Hmm I would stand and take a few pictures. But the adventure was now over.

See the best picture in the picture section.

Josh's Picture He sent in... great shot!