Lots of ripped up areas locally; Loudon County VA next door hard hit in typically "micro burst areas"; pictures on The Weather Channel (local area cable channel 69) showed a huge oak tree complete with root ball torn out of the ground and blown who knows how far into a lovely country house's yard, set down just inside the idyllic white picket fence and leaning heavily agains the 200-yr. old plus house; will have to be dissected carefully by the local tree guys. Had to be a 75-80 foot tall tree. Damage to the historic house unknown.
Bad damage report areas still coming in nearby. Potomac river near Point Of Rocks south of Frederick MD angry and roiling; will probably crest near flood stage around Wednesday around dawn or shortly thereafter.
On Friday and Saturday morning at the Chantilly Gun Show just south of Dulles Airport we were waiting for the metal roof over the massive Expo Center to do the "Sardine Can peel" Luckily no damage there; reminded me of my days in Kansas when the sky turned the color of a real bad bruise on your arm of leg, then the sudden stillness and the incredibly fast drop in temperature just after the still air and high humidity - TORNADO WARNING!!!
Grab a couple of bottles of good wine or whiskey, snacks and the Coleman lantern and the portable radio and head for the root cellar or the below-ground laundry room. Never will forget the sound or the fury of the wind out on the plains; always seemed just around the time of the first new moon before Easter.
|