Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Deluge !!

It was hot and sticky Sunday morning, but I did manage to get some outside chores done.

I cut back the big tomato plants against the fence and tied them up.  I cut off all the spent hostas stalks (front and back beds). Fertilized pots in spaRRows.  Did a lot of deadheading, pulled weeds, tidied up in the swing bed.

Then, since 2 of the 3 garage barrels were now empty, I cleaned them out and made them ready for any rain we might get.

I was hot and sweaty and decided that was enough.  It was going on 3 pm and I was ready for some serious time inside with a cold drink and the A/C.

I checked the radar.  Some small stuff to the north of us. 

No probs there.

About 15 minutes later I glanced out the front window from the couch and saw what I thought was smoke from the neighbor's grill.  Hmmm.

A closer look.

It was all water.

Coming down.

In buckets. 

Checked the radar.  Those little green spots had swelled into BIG RED BLOTCHES and was growing as I watched.

The 2 barrels filled within minutes - the water coming out of the downspout so violently half of it overshot the 3rd barrel.

I stood and watched the rain gauge fill before my eyes.  Within 35 minutes it was just over 2".  (The pic shows less because I forgot to take one after the storm.)

Water raced from the golf course, across lawns further down the hill, almost a foot deep in places.  It surged down the hill, flooded the creek, backed up into the golf course to the east and homes to the west.  

And the thunder and lightning was constant.  Thankfully not much wind.  Then it passed on to the south.  Since it was slow moving, the thunder from the storm was loud and long for almost another hour.  

Then it was over.  

*sheesh*

No damage here except for the fence San Marzano tomatos - beaten over, but not broken; the basement sump only came on once.  Well, the rain barrels are filled again.  What a ride.

Here it is Wednesday, hot and humid again and the 1st rainbarrel is nearly empty again.  Circle of life..... *heh*

6 comments:

  1. We had the same kind of rain the past two days. It would downpour and then rest a bit, then start up again. We too were so humid and most of this rain on Tuesday was not predicted, they just formed and instantly started raining.

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    1. Yup, with the saturated air, heat, humidity they just condense on the spot and start dumping. Hope you didn't have any flooding or damage.

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  2. I am certainly envious. We've had "rain"--haha--on the radar, but none of it actually falls. Up here, the humidity is so low that it burns up before it hits the ground. We are in desperate need of rain up here--all my tanks are empty, even my new 300 gallon one. Please--send leftovers!!!

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    1. We've only had about 3.5" in July. Parched here too. It's too bad we get most of it within an hour and so it runs off downhill. :-(

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  3. When it is as hot and humid as it has been those storms can pop up instantly. I am amazed how radar is clear one minute and not the next!

    Glad it wasn't a severe storm just needed moisture.

    I love the new header pictures. Is that a young bald eagle?

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    1. I'm sure the people in the house down next to the creek didn't appreciate the heavy rain - flooding is always a problem for them. As for us, the ground is hard and dry and hot already - so much of it just ran off.

      No, not a bald eagle. That is the huge female red-tailed hawk. Isn't she magnificent! She's caught a mole in that pic.

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