Spring can sometimes be a time of high anxiety here in the United States. It's beautiful, but don't be fooled. It can be deadly.
Early this morning, flash flooding hit upstate New York. This took place less than 100 miles from where I live in the Binghamton, New York area..
Tornadoes in Nebraska.
I used to live in what is called "tornado alley", so I've had a taste of tornado anxiety. ( I missed this tornado, one of the worst up to that time in the United States, by slightly over two years.) And now, the city it terrorized and where I used to live, Wichita Falls, Texas, thirsts so for water that they are thinking of treating their waste water for drinking purposes.
And spring isn't over yet.
The neighborhood I live in flooded in 2006 after a weather system stalled and rained, day after day. It then flooded again in 2011. For us 2011 was a record wet year that climaxed with two tropical storms several days apart. I've written quite a lot on my blog (check posts after September 8, 2011 if you are interested.) about the aftermath of the 2011 floods. Only now is the town tearing down some 36 homes in my neighborhood that were less fortunate than my house.
When a book was written about that flood by the local newspaper, an aerial view of my neighborhood was on the cover, although far more neighborhoods than mine suffered - some, I know, even worse.
Since then, it's hard for me to enjoy the sound of rain on the roof, although the terror has faded with time.
But it doesn't take much to get the anxiety going.
Today, we got up to 82 wonderful degrees. But Friday's forecast is for a high of 66, a low of 44, (I'll let my European friends do their own conversions today-sorry) and a "potential for heavy rain". After the flash flooding of today - well, it may be time for some high anxiety.
But there is nothing I can do about it.
What do I do? Just sit, wait, and enjoy spring while I can. I'm happy to be alive, and I want to make the most of it.
Are you ever nervous about the weather where you live?
I would have loved 80's today, heck, even 70's! It barely got into the 60's here today (Iowa).
ReplyDeleteFortunately, we don't have that kind of severe weather here in Michigan, where I've been for 20+ years now. But I come from Nova Scotia, Canada, and we had our share of hurricanes. The weather can be such a terrible force! I hope you are able to stay safe. Batten down those hatches! Peace.
ReplyDeleteWeather can be terrible and parts of the the US are really suffering at the moment. I'll hold them in my prayers. No. Weather doesn't frighten me. I think you're onto the right idea by enjoying the moment. It might be your last. But then, I'm fatalistic.
ReplyDeleteGosh! I think weather does frighten me a bit. It's the fact that we have no control over it!
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