Rain, rain go away!

Three years ago it was flooding. Other years it's been hail.

This year it's been multiple tornadoes, multiple hail storms in one day, flooding, high winds, heat, humidity, and about every kind of spring and summer weather you could imagine.

Last Thursday an hour to the west in Kearney, NE they got hit by a tornado. It was the lead story on Good Morning America the next day. It ripped open an apartment and destroyed the expo building at the fairgrounds. That storm skipped over us (at least the bad stuff) and reformed tornadoes in Aurora, the next town to the east.

The damage in Aurora wasn't as widespread as in Kearney, but those who got it got it even worse. Here's my story on that. It's amazing. You have to watch it.

Then this week, when Grand Island has gone smoke free (w00t!) it's been overshadowed by day after day of rain. The worst came Wednesday night, and resulted in flooding several miles north of our home. Again, the video tells the story.



Anyway, we're ready for a dry spell. After years and years of drought, this isn't any better. A nice, normal spring would be nice. Not that I know what a normal spring is anymore.

Still Lost after the Tornadoes

Not only did I not see Lost last night, I had to be the one to tell the TV viewers of central Nebraska that they wouldn't see it either.

But I hope people are understanding that tornadoes take precedent over TV. Even a season finale.

We did get some email from upset viewers. But we got ten times as many people emailing storm stories, video, and pictures.

Grand Island seemed to have been spared. But our neighbors to the west in Kearney and east in Aurora got nailed by tornadoes. Thankfully, it sounds like no one's hurt.

But it's a mess. It was a long day, and looks like another long day's ahead of us.

Go over to www.nebraska.tv to see video.

First snow

First snow, originally uploaded by echobase_2000.

Happy Thanksgiving!

We got our first snow of the season yesterday. It started mostly as those flurries that don't do anything, but there was some (slight) accumulation on the ground and a couple of accidents.

This week, God saw fit to give us his weather equivalent of stopping on a dime. We dropped from 70 on Monday to snow on Wednesday. That'll bring you screeching to a halt. But I like the snow, so I'm not complaining :)

Juicy!

The weather girl on Channel 8 called the storm front "juicy" on the air tonight.

Say whaaaaa?

It's a stake through the heart of central Nebraska. Four days after freezing rain left inches of ice on everything, it's melting. Tonight that forced the evacuation of the TV station I work for. Thankfully, I work in the news bureau an hour east. My office has power and heat and lights. Can't say the same for the main station. They've been running on generators for days. That's enough power to keep the station on the air, and to power maybe two computers. We've had to anchor the news from our bureau several times, because it's a) the only place with steady power and b) doesn't have giant icicles crashing through the roof.


This is a small icicle, relative to the ten pound chunks that have fallen through the roof of the TV station. A 500 foot tower broadcasts our signal for dozens of counties.


See the coating of ice falling from this street sign? That's a small scale example of what I'm talking about. There are thousands of power poles down. That's hundred of miles of high voltage lines. And it's not like losing power to a square mile of city. Bringing a square mile of rural farm land back on the grid may only bring power back to a handful of people.


The ice storm has left 30,000 rural Nebraskans without power for four days. Sure, it looks amazing, but it's been devastating. That's not 30,000 in one or two towns. That's 30,000 spread out over a dozen counties.

There's ice on everything. Every chain link fence, every power line, every car, mailbox, sidewalk, and tree. It's been in the 40s the last two days, so at least it's melting. But the damage has been done.

Icy fingers reach from my front lawn...

Ice coated each and every blade of grass.