Twister's Tale

[mgc1961]

In that swath of the American flatland that has been so brutalized of late, a 93-year-old woman gave me a warning. She had lost her house as a little girl, a homestead property of timber-sheltered memories that shattered in a twister’s strike and took to the Oklahoma sky.

She had cautioned me to be wary of springtime — glorious days in a glorious stretch of prairie that can turn deadly on a dime. “Don’t get too far from a shelter.” Yes, yes, I’d heard plenty about hail the size of grapefruit and how the weather might kick up four things that could kill you — wildfire, blizzard, flash flood, tornado.

But it seemed quaint to these urban ears, a “Wizard of Oz” artifact from Dorothy’s pals on the farm. What I learned that afternoon in Tornado Alley is that nothing is more terrifying than a sky of robin’s-egg blue turning bruised and churlish, a moment that transforms trees and telephone poles into missiles.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/26/twisters-tale/?hp

[yesphan]

1. Oklahoma

Where the weather's the news and politicians give you the blues.
Love it here !

[mgc1961]

2. Hail damages American Airlines planes

DALLAS — American Airlines has canceled more than 200 flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport following a hail storm that damaged dozens of planes.

American spokesman Andrea Huguely (HEWG'-lee) says 62 planes required examination Wednesday, a day after thunderstorms pounded North Texas. She says 50 had hail damage. All but 18 were repaired and returned to service by Thursday.

http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/05/26/3105140/hail-damages-dozens-of-american.html#ixzz1NYxGIvar

[mgc1961]

3. Severe storm risk isn't over in Middle Tennessee

The wear and tear of last May’s flood, several snow days last winter and a busy spring storm season showed on the face of Mable Curtis as she evaluated some downed trees in the front and backyard of her Inglewood home.

“I’m tired of it, but I know we have no control over the weather,” Curtis said as she waited outside Tuesday morning through a power outage that accompanied the storm for more than 27,000 Nashville Electric Service customers at its peak.

Curtis shook her head when told of the forecast, which calls for a more widespread risk of severe weather in Middle Tennessee late today into Thursday after East Nashville took the brunt of a strong storm that hit just before 5 a.m. Tuesday.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20110525/NEWS/305250102/Severe-storm-risk-isn-t-over-Middle-Tennessee