Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Not a bad birthday

Well, I didn't get to see much today in the way of directly observing severe weather. But I did get to follow some of the coverage of storms that blew through my area. I am still listening to the weather net on the Tulsa Amateur Radio Club's UHF link system at this time (2200 CDT). Storms have moved out of Okahoma, and I suspect the net will end soon.

My problem with storm watching right now is a real estate issue - location, location, location! I live close to the bottom of a ridge line that runs mostly north and south, and the ridge is to my west. Another ridge that runs east and west lies to my north. The ground to my east gently slopes uphill, but the treeline of a creek sits about half a block away. Lots of trees to the south, too. So, unless something is almost right on top me, I can't see diddly, or the storms!

Not long after 1 PM, I made my run (walk, actually) to the PO and then headed towards one of the two convenience store for something for a special b-day lunch. As I approached the local car wash, I noticed a young police officer WASHING a brand new patrol unit! I stopped and told him he must have really wanted it to storm! We talked for a bit about the storm threat for today. I had talked to him some last year when I volunteered to do some spotting for the town. (That hasn't worked out so well, due to my limited transportation options.) I found out he is taking over as Chief for a year as the regular Chief is going to Afghanistan for a year as a consultant to the police forces there. I told him that I might be able to get a car soon, and then I can start working on helping the town put together a spotting program.

Later, as I headed south down my street, I could feel outflow from a cell to my southwest hit me in the face. When I got home and woke up my computer, it showed me the Press Cntrl-Alt-Del screen. A power spike must have struck while I was away.

Anyway, I enjoyed a lunch of salad, boneless chicken strips and nacho cheese flavored tortilla chips. The first wave, mostly rain, moved through soon afterwards. I didn't bother to look at it bacause a gap developed in the squall line and guess where the gap headed - right at Kiefer. Redevlopment filled in the line, but with rain that lasted a while. Skies cleared between 4 and 6 PM, and then next wave moved in.

Storms that first developed west of I-35 moved into Pawnee and Osage Cos. A crescent shaped line popped up in Creek Co. south of I-44 with the center of the arc near Bristow in the middle of the county. This crescent moved northeast towards Sapulpa and Sand Springs. Part of this storm developed a funnel between Sapulpa, Sand Springs, and Tulsa.
Soon afterwards, around 7 PM, straightline winds lifted, then dropped a large tent and its poles in west Tulsa in a park on the Arkansas River. A private, corporate event was going on at the time in connection with Tulsa's Octoberfest, and about 40 people were injured. The genereal manager of KTUL-TV, the local ABC affliate, was there and reported from the scene. One of my fellow hams, Fred Williams, KD5NBR, and a chaser for the station, reported in and also sent in video of the first responders and the downed tent.
The sad irony of the Octoberfest incident is that Jim Giles, the chief meteorologist for KOTV, the CBS affliate, had been very involved with the event in the past. He passed away late last year, and he had worked so hard throughout his career to protect lives.

Anyway, in between the storms, I had pizza, which has been a rare treat for me the last two years.

I didn't get any presents, unless you count the pizza my Mom paid for, and she gave me a handmade 'card'. That doesn't matter much, as I pretty much enjoyed myself today. In case you're wondering how old I am, I've reached the point where I don't mind having a birthday, I just don't care to count them anymore!

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