As i type this a thunderstorm has started in central Scotland. Does anyone have any thunderstorm stories? You know the type like 'i was hit by a bolt of lightning but was saved by my trainers etc'?
It was a dark (and about to be stormy) night. I was just about to go to bed, when in the distance... I heard a rumble of thunder.
I quickly got dressed again, and grabbed my camera and tripod and headed out to the nearest place that (a) had shelter and (b) reasonable darkness - Houston Gulf airport, a small airfield near where I lived. By the time I got there the rain was torrential. The lobby had an overhang, which I thought would provide adequate shelter for me and my camera. Wrong. The wind blew the heavy rain right into me and I knew my camera would soon cease to function if I stayed there - so I went to jump in my truck to go to the club house and use the porch there when FLASHBANG!!! Lightning struck so close I fancied I felt even a pressure wave. I jumped about a mile, too, and nearly ended up flat on my face. Finally, I drove to the club house and just as I was unloading my camera and tripod, and walking across the now very wet grass FLASHBANG!!! and it was all I could do to not end up face down in the mud.
Finally, I got to the club house and set up.
Of course, the storm then promptly moved off, and I missed getting pictures of two cloud-to-ground lightning strikes which were so close there was no perceptible delay between the flash and bang. The rain began to peter out and I got a few shots of cloud-to-cloud lightning from under the wing of a Cessna 172.
The next morning, one of the line guys found two scorch marks on the taxiway less than 100 feet from where I had been trying to set up.
Yeah, I was living in Florida this time last year. Driving across alligator alley to Miami when we went thru a massive thunderstorm. anyhoo, we stopped to get gas..I sat in the car. While my friend was inside..a bolt came down about 20 feet from me. A guy who was standing next to a refueling truck went about 10 feet thru the air. All the power went out. All I can remember is a blinding white flash.. but more so the terrible VERY loud deafening cracking ripping noise.
Yeh, on the way home from middle school, so it was probably 1990, there was a storm on the way home. I've always loved storms but this one was right on top of where I was so I was running trying to get home and lightning came down and hit a manhole cover in the middle of the road right near me which must have knocked me over mid-stride coz I had a short blank space and found myself on the floor partially deafened and shaking like crazy. Finally managed to get up and slowly take myself the rest of the way home.
Also: shagging when there's a storm on is something kinda special :D
Good old American Electrical / telephone System. Cowboys the lot of em. :roll:
For the world's most advanced economy, the state of the street-side wiring is absolutely shocking in most places. For example, go down most streets in many cities and you'll see that half the power poles are at precarious angles and are weighed down with cables. It's only really on the west coast that the situation is any better, since in many places they bury the cables out west to keep the cities looking nice.
I've never lived somewhere with less reliable power than Raleigh, North Carolina. There were always power lines going down somewhere.
Having said that, in terms of storms, many parts of the US get far more severe thunderstoms than we get in the British Isles. Even in coastal Texas (the sea breeze tends to take the sting out of the worst storms) I saw plenty of 40,000 foot monsters, tornadic activity, and microbursts (with surface winds exceeding 80 mph) and plenty of cloud-to-ground strikes. Further inland, like northern Houston, sometimes gets golf ball sized hail.
Just after they'd spent millions refurbuishing Bognor Regis station, I didn't go there but I did commute from Worthing to Barnham, and stations like Bongor and Littlehampton were down branch lines. They'd spent millions on it, and it got hit by lightning and burnt down. Hooray. I had a day off of work, cos the trains were out.
For the world's most advanced economy, the state of the street-side wiring is absolutely shocking in most places. For example, go down most streets in many cities and you'll see that half the power poles are at precarious angles and are weighed down with cables. It's only really on the west coast that the situation is any better, since in many places they bury the cables out west to keep the cities looking nice.
I've never lived somewhere with less reliable power than Raleigh, North Carolina. There were always power lines going down somewhere.
Having said that, in terms of storms, many parts of the US get far more severe thunderstoms than we get in the British Isles. Even in coastal Texas (the sea breeze tends to take the sting out of the worst storms) I saw plenty of 40,000 foot monsters, tornadic activity, and microbursts (with surface winds exceeding 80 mph) and plenty of cloud-to-ground strikes. Further inland, like northern Houston, sometimes gets golf ball sized hail.
My power goes out at least once a week, usually only for a few seconds but enough to annoy me and sometimes blow something out.
I got tired of my computer frying so I bought and expensive UPS......then then onboard ethernet got fried instead :(
Now I work for a Power conditioning company and they sell nice filters...$100 a pop though so I only have one on my big screen TV.
Yes you were being rather mean to me, I hope when Beanz divorces you you don't get a penny :p
i'm sorry i don't mean to upset, just having a laugh, and i must always remember that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, although in your case it would be a glass trailer. ha ha you spacker.
i'm sorry i don't mean to upset, just having a laugh, and i must always remember that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, although in your case it would be a glass trailer. ha ha you spacker.
Fantasy world Miles. A new game by DM_boozefreek. Set in the world of Jetset Willy, Miles must navigate the 50 rooms of the WOS mansion collecting all the empty bottles before Beanz will let him go to bed.
Fantasy world Miles. A new game by DM_boozefreek. Set in the world of Jetset Willie, Miles must navigate the 50 rooms of the WOS mansion collecting all the empty bottles before Beanz will let him go to bed.
hmmmmm you could be onto something there, maybe I should fire JSWED up :D
Fantasy world Miles. A new game by DM_boozefreek, and trailer trash productions. Set in the world of Jetset Willie, Miles must navigate the 50 rooms of the WOS mansion collecting all the empty bottles before Beanz will let him go to bed.
Comments
It was a dark (and about to be stormy) night. I was just about to go to bed, when in the distance... I heard a rumble of thunder.
I quickly got dressed again, and grabbed my camera and tripod and headed out to the nearest place that (a) had shelter and (b) reasonable darkness - Houston Gulf airport, a small airfield near where I lived. By the time I got there the rain was torrential. The lobby had an overhang, which I thought would provide adequate shelter for me and my camera. Wrong. The wind blew the heavy rain right into me and I knew my camera would soon cease to function if I stayed there - so I went to jump in my truck to go to the club house and use the porch there when FLASHBANG!!! Lightning struck so close I fancied I felt even a pressure wave. I jumped about a mile, too, and nearly ended up flat on my face. Finally, I drove to the club house and just as I was unloading my camera and tripod, and walking across the now very wet grass FLASHBANG!!! and it was all I could do to not end up face down in the mud.
Finally, I got to the club house and set up.
Of course, the storm then promptly moved off, and I missed getting pictures of two cloud-to-ground lightning strikes which were so close there was no perceptible delay between the flash and bang. The rain began to peter out and I got a few shots of cloud-to-cloud lightning from under the wing of a Cessna 172.
The next morning, one of the line guys found two scorch marks on the taxiway less than 100 feet from where I had been trying to set up.
I'd call it a near thing.
4 netcards
2 modems
3 hard drives
..and counting :(
Good old American Electrical / telephone System. Cowboys the lot of em. :roll:
Also: shagging when there's a storm on is something kinda special :D
For the world's most advanced economy, the state of the street-side wiring is absolutely shocking in most places. For example, go down most streets in many cities and you'll see that half the power poles are at precarious angles and are weighed down with cables. It's only really on the west coast that the situation is any better, since in many places they bury the cables out west to keep the cities looking nice.
I've never lived somewhere with less reliable power than Raleigh, North Carolina. There were always power lines going down somewhere.
Having said that, in terms of storms, many parts of the US get far more severe thunderstoms than we get in the British Isles. Even in coastal Texas (the sea breeze tends to take the sting out of the worst storms) I saw plenty of 40,000 foot monsters, tornadic activity, and microbursts (with surface winds exceeding 80 mph) and plenty of cloud-to-ground strikes. Further inland, like northern Houston, sometimes gets golf ball sized hail.
My power goes out at least once a week, usually only for a few seconds but enough to annoy me and sometimes blow something out.
I got tired of my computer frying so I bought and expensive UPS......then then onboard ethernet got fried instead :(
Now I work for a Power conditioning company and they sell nice filters...$100 a pop though so I only have one on my big screen TV.
what about a surge adaptor?
or why don't you get a laptop?
or a generator like boozefeet has for his trailer.
I got 2 laptops and 4 pcs.
EDIT: Had a generator, exwife got it in the divorce
you were married to boozefeek?
No but apparently you are to PSJ....
Shut up Yorkshire Pie!
Wasn't it you that put prison toilet paper on e-bay that was autographed by Myra Hindly?
...and the biro that jabbed Sutcliffes eyes out?
Gaylord!
with:D that sort of attitude no wonder beanz filed for divorce.
Can you not taker her to court and get custody back??
Do you have to pay any maintenence?
Yes you were being rather mean to me, I hope when Beanz divorces you you don't get a penny :p
It was a maintenance free generator
i'm sorry i don't mean to upset, just having a laugh, and i must always remember that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, although in your case it would be a glass trailer. ha ha you spacker.
Ignore him and come back to bed
Oi! It's SCOPE remember!
yes, to the bunk beds, just like godber and that fat one from porrige.
Miles how could you :(
i don't know, reality and fantasy are merging.
Must be all that acid I did in 1994 :lol:
Fantasy world Miles. A new game by DM_boozefreek. Set in the world of Jetset Willy, Miles must navigate the 50 rooms of the WOS mansion collecting all the empty bottles before Beanz will let him go to bed.
hmmmmm you could be onto something there, maybe I should fire JSWED up :D
sounds like a game you dont want to complete. :)