Becky’s post has me thinking about the weather. On this past SAT aft, we
were at my son’s school for basketball games. Everything stopped as the
school’s Athletic Director took the microphone and announced that the County
Sheriff’s Dept had just notified him that a tornado was on the ground and
headed toward the school. He instructed everyone to take immediate shelter
in the locker rooms. So about 300 people crowded in. I always wanted to
see inside the boy’s locker room J. It was not nearly as odiferous as I had
anticipated, and I thought it was reasonably clean. My 15 year old son says
I should be in there during football season and I would have a different
impression. The weather developments were a surprise to most. It was about
70 degrees and sunny when we left home about 2P. I checked the weather
earlier in the morning, on a weather website, and nothing about tornado
warnings or severe weather was showing up. A series of tremendous
thunderstorms with multiple power outages ensued. Thunder reverberated and
shook the building. Little girls squealed and a few folks were praying.
People were getting cell phone calls, texts, and images sent to their phone,
and indeed, there were some scary things going on. Hail was common all over
the area. The school is a half mile west of I-75, and the GA State Patrol
and the Dooly County Sheriff’s Dept, temporarily closed down the Interstate.
I think Emergency Management Agencies in the southeastern US have become
much more proactive since the recent tornado tragedy in Tuscaloosa, AL. One
of the problems in our part of the country is that because there is usually
so much tree cover, you can’t see what is coming your way until it is on top
of you. There were confirmed tornado sightings and some damage in the
county to the west, along with widespread power outages. But after about a
one hour delay, the lights came back on and the games resumed. But first the
gym floor had to be swept several times, as the pounding rain, hail, and
concussion blows of the thunder, had loosened the coating on the ceiling.
We got about two inches of rain at our residence, 15 miles east of the
school, but no high wind or damage. I was concerned about some new bonsai I
had acquired or potted up, that it would be blown over or damaged by hail.
We welcome the rainfall. So all the kids at the school will have much to
talk about today, and remember.
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American Daffodil Society logo
Becky Fox Matthews
1st Vice President
American Daffodil Society, Inc.
www.daffodilusa.org www.daffodilusastore.org
www.daffseek.org www.daffodiltn.org
Jaydee thanks for the details of your unusal events at your son’s baseball event. Your tales are always entertaining; you have a gift for storytelling. I am relieved that your school was spared and hope your son’s team won.
Here in Virginia April 2011 a middle school several miles from my home and where our local daffodil show use to be held did not survive a tornado. In fact this school is still closed and plans to rebuild it is still ongoing. Meanwhile these students that would attend that school are doubled up in other schools.
Weather conditions seem to be more severe or variable. This winter the temperate has varied from 30 to 60F. Rain is frequent which is good for the daffodils but foliage this up higher than normal. In fact, I had a species, N. Capri, blooming last week that I planted on November 1, 2011. There has been no snow predicted nor fallen. Weather has been so variable, I do know know what will be.
I do know I have seen snow, hail, sleet, and high temperatures at daffodil show season so nothing surprises me anymore at that time of year. I am sure many have had the same experience as I have had.
Take Care
Ceci Brown
Growing Daffodils in Virginia
near the Mobjack Bay
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