Your description of watching the storms come in sounds amazing... My husband and I have always loved watching the storms (when we’ve got a good view). (Colorado was especially awesome for watching strange cloud formations coming in off the mountains.)
That’s funny with you all watching “Twister”. In what was pretty bad timing on Saturday, while I was on the live thread here at FR for this tornado the CW (TV Channel) in my area was playing “Where the Heart Is”, and there is a scene in the movie where a little girl almost gets ripped out of the storm cellar because the door hadn’t closed! That wasn’t too fun to watch while listening to what was going on down South on Sat., but I can totally see how the storm would add atmosphere for watching Twister! LOL
I know what you mean about the country storms seeming worse... It’s got to be because there is just nothing to stop the wind except a few trees here and there... Although for some reason I feel safer when actually in the country with storms than in the town or city... I think it’s because in-town you can’t see it coming. Where I live now I didn’t see the tornado that hit a few blocks over because there are too many houses and especially trees along the river...
Very cool about seeing the water spout on Lake Michigan! I grew up outside Chicago, so I’ve heard of them, but never saw one (except on the TV News — I wonder if it was the same one you’re talking about! LOL). I know exactly what you mean about the winds being stronger that high up as well. Plus, just being in the city on a windy and rainy day is interesting. The way it whips through the buildings and swirls is crazy sometimes... Especially in the heart of “the Loop”.
That is a really cool video — thanks for sharing it!
Especially amazing re: the deer running from one in a part of Jim Reed’s footage... And then that one guy a bit later!?!? I’ve never seen anyone appear to try to do a “suicide by tornado” before!!! What was he doing? And how did he know it was going to break up??? INSANITY!!!
I especially like the lightning shots at the beginning. My sister and I used to watch the lightning from my bedroom window at night and count how far away they were... Speaking of which — I saw one of those HUGE bolts one time when my Mom and I were in the car. It was GIGANTIC with what looked like a million tentacles coming off of 2-3 main “arteries”. I’ve got a ton of lightning stories (one close call, two about burning transformers), but that one when I was probably about 8 or 9 yo, is the one single bolt of lightning I can remember clearly in my mind to this day (wish I could draw! LOL).
Anyway, thanks for sharing your stories. God’s creation is certainly beautiful, and downright terrifying at the same time once in a while! Always amazing though.
I was on a flight to Colorado one time. Our plane had to divert around a storm. Its something to watch the thunderheads building, from the ground, its just as cool to see them from an airplane. The clouds were billowing up to our level, maybe a little higher. With the golden sun on them they were GORGEOUS. As we went farther on around, could see the gray beneath and lightning. Very cool.
Watched what appeared to be heat lightning, one evening on a flight home from Fla.
Gods nature is BEAUTIFUL.