| 065 | The Storm | 2009-04-03 |
Yesterday, a spring storm passed through Nashville. Though the official weather service only registered one and a quarter inches, we probably had that much rain blow down the flue of our chimney. It rained hard, flooded, and one tornado touched down. Although nothing like the storms that sweep through the plain states, the storm still was a player that severely tested the cities stormwater drainages. When the drainage systems were insufficient, the collecting rain water flooded, leaving several major transportation arteries blocked by pooled water. Traveling was a nightmare.
Luckily, my wife and I were home during the event. We followed the weather online at Accuweather and Weather.com and watched the local television stations. Our dog, was in the stairwell hunkered down (his safe place) and finally the area weather siren was sounded - the storm was coming. We were informed, alert, and vigilant. Luckily, the storm passed our house with nothing than a lot of wind and rain. Soon the dog came out of the staircase and gave us the all clear, the storm had passed.
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A few years back we were camping in Moraine Park Campground (Rocky Mountain National Park). Returning to camp one afternoon a storm passed through the area. It brought rain, hail, and wind of a memorable magnitude. Moisture drained through every unsealed hole of our tent (a Black Diamond Megalite). It actually rained hard enough that the rain seemed to penetrate the very sylnet nylon fabric of the tent. We silently sat inside the tent jumping with each boom of thunder and counting the seconds measuring the distance from us. After more than an hour we emerged from the tent to survey the damages. A river had formed between our tent and car. RVs parked near us had received substantial wind damage. Tents had been destroyed from the blasts. Ravines were washed in the gravel campground road. Gullies were washed under, around, and through the asphalt roads.
My friend Jon who was camped next to us said, "this (the storm) was a significant hydrological event." Such a comment has to be used judiciously for only those possibly once a year rain storms.
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I called Jon this morning to ask for his evaluation of the storm. He concurred, "it was a significant hydrological event!" Indeed it was.