Tonight was our last square dance of the season, and we were dancing the final tip when a storm broke outside the building. We could hear rain pounding the roof and saw lightning stabbing the sky. Then a crash of thunder and the lights went out--and of course, so did the music and Darryl's mike.
Fortunately, the hall had some emergency lighting, so we weren't left totally in the dark. Everyone was watching the storm and waiting for a break before leaving--but no break came. The storm intensified, and National Weather Service reports indicated funnel clouds and hail in the area. We watched as the tall flagpole outside the clubhouse at Tropical Valley Acres crashed to the ground (missing our truck by about 8 feet). The atmosphere was tense, and people were worried about their friends and homes and pets.
After about an hour, the storm abated, and people began to leave. Finally we were the last ones in the hall, and we decided to head out too. The roads were beginning to flood, but fortunately the truck has high clearance, so we continued on. We saw some accidents and cars overwhelmed by the flood waters. Visibility was poor, and everyone was crawling along with four-ways flashing.
Finally we decided to pull off the expressway, and we found an overpass to shelter under, but the water there was deepening by the minute, so after a bit we headed out. I was reading National Weather Service recommendations to abandon mobile homes and take shelter immediately!
The trip home was truly frightening, but we made it safely and found our home intact. After we got inside, I realized that I was trembling. It was the worst storm we had ever experienced.
On top of everything else, when we got ready to leave the hall, Ken discovered that his truck key was missing. He used my keys to drive home. Fortunately, the only key lost was the truck key, but unfortunately it was a remote and key with microchip. We're still hoping it will turn up somewhere.
0 comments:
Post a Comment