hurray! my first tornado warning! (Chicago, Plainfield: live, safe, moving)

[Drover]

Originally Posted by eevee

wow, I thought so, but I've never seen lightening flash continuously like that (I got a brief tape of it on my camera, but it was literal flashing). I've got a nice little video to send to the family back home, complete w/ background sirens and inane rambling by me

When lightning has a positive charge it will flash for a few seconds instead of just a quick-flash of a negative charge. Positively charged lightning is not very common, but you're most likely to see it during a really intense, compact storm like the one we just had.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Drover

...Positively charged lightning is not very common, but you're most likely to see it during a really intense, compact storm like the one we just had.

Unless you are fighting the Stay Puff marshmallow man and dogs of Gozer...

[jdiddy]

Well when someone asks you if you are a God, you say yes.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by jdiddy

Well when someone asks you if you are a God, you say yes.

I know I do.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by Drover

When lightning has a positive charge it will flash for a few seconds instead of just a quick-flash of a negative charge. Positively charged lightning is not very common, but you're most likely to see it during a really intense, compact storm like the one we just had.

Someone's been watching Tom Skilling tonight.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by eevee

after officially being in Chicago for 370 days, I've just heard my first ever tornado warning! *sniff* now I really feel like a real Chicagoan

This is my second Chicago tornado warning. I remember another one about two years ago or so that happened around 6:15 pm... I was sleeping on the couch in front of the TV newscast and when I heard the sirens I was too groggy to respond... Guess I'm lucky nothing came of that one where I live... heh.

Tonight when I heard the sirens go off, I turned on The Weather Channel, where the red portion at the bottom of the screen said a tornado had been sighted in Schiller Park and was moving eastward at 47 MPH. Well, I live ten miles due east of Schiller Park, so I was pretty concerned.

I'm on the 18th floor of a highrise. At first I didn't do anything, and the sirens stopped. The TWC warning had said it was to expire at 8:15 pm, and it was already 8:11, 8:12... I figured nothing was going to happen, show's over, nothing to see here...

Then the sirens came back on. At 8:15 pm, I heard a gust of wind outside my windows that was like nothing I'd ever heard before. I hastily threw on some shorts, grabbed my keys and shoes, and hightailed it out of here.

I decided to go to my building's laundry room, which is in the basement, underground where there are no windows. En route in my hallway, I could hear the apartment doors banging and clattering, making racket I'd never heard them make before. My building sways in heavy winds, and there's often a "creaking" sound, but I'd never heard anything like this.

I took the service elevator down to the basement. It was packed. (Later, when I thought about it, I realized that could've been a mistake... what if the power had gone out? Probably better to use the stairwell instead.) The laundry room was packed, too... all of us intently watching the weather report on the room's TV. The tornado warning had been extended to 8:30 pm, then it expired on schedule, for my area at least. We gradually left and returned to our apartments.

It wasn't until I reentered my apartment that I realized in my haste to get dressed and exit, I'd left my fly open. OK, TMI, I know.

Enough excitement for one night. And my apartment appears to be intact, no blown-out windows or anything.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by Lookout Kid

Someone's been watching Tom Skilling tonight.

I am starting to think he is Tom Skilling.

[Avengerfire]

Originally Posted by andrew61

...It wasn't until I reentered my apartment that I realized in my haste to get dressed and exit, I'd left my fly open. OK, TMI, I know....

You know while I was outside watching the storm I left my fly open too on accident and did not realize it until after I went back in. Strange but true.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by Drover

When lightning has a positive charge it will flash for a few seconds instead of just a quick-flash of a negative charge. Positively charged lightning is not very common, but you're most likely to see it during a really intense, compact storm like the one we just had.

thanks for that info . I live near some of those blue camera lights and stupidly thought the flashing was coming from them!

it's starting up again w/ the flashing lightning (and now it sounds like hail is falling! ). I miss my tame nor'easters! I think I'd rather deal w/ 10' of snow!

EEKK now water is coming in from my patio door and windows and flooding everything! (I live in a raised 1st floor apartment!)

[Drover]

Watching the (brief) resumption of the Cubs game was a hoot... a bolt of lightning struck somewhere on the premises, maybe the roof or a flagpole or something... and suddenly everyone on the field starts bolting for the dugouts while the game was in play. They weren't going to bother waiting for the umps to call a delay; they made a beeline for the dugouts instantly. The Cubs' first base coach just about hit the deck like he was having a Vietnam flashback.