Personal Essay

Thunderstorms

I woke to a thunderstorm out over the ocean. I watched it from my window. It is an amazing sight to see lighting strike the ocean. The storm passed by us we had nothing but some rain drops.

Later just after midday, we had a torrential downpour and awe inspiring thunderstorm. We could see it building south of us. And then lightening not only lit up the sky but crashed down around us. Several strikes on the island caused power outages. Emergency vehicles were out and about everywhere. The sirens screamed and screamed for at least an hour.

The rain flooded the road, Water gushed through the door of the Beachwear store. It happened in a flash and was over  in a flash. the water however is still standing in places the day after. When you live on an island surrounded by water, water is a day to day life threat.

I wasn’t sure about getting home. Our house is always surrounded by water when it rains. It isn’t the water that concerns me it is the confusion water on the roads causes for the alligators. They often end up swimming down our road rather than in the channels around our house. By the time I went home the water had receded off the road. No alligators in sight.

Today the heat is heating up again and the humidity is 70%. The potential is there again for another round of storms. I went to the beach this morning knowing it was going to be hot this afternoon and knowing that the possibility existed for another round of thunderstorms. I had to get some time on the beach to rest and relax on my day off.

I am never sure whether we will get a storm or if it will pass us by. Often I see thunderstorms out in the distance. Sometimes they are over the ocean. Sometimes they are over on the mainland.

I love thunderstorms. Have since I was a little girl. My mom use to yell at my dad and I as we stood outside and watched them until the lightening was too close for comfort – then we would retreat to the porch and watch from there. Mom would still be yelling at us to get inside!

In college I studied thunderstorms and hurricanes for my science requirement. I would stand outside with my instruments taking measurements and taking pictures until my kids would yell at me to come inside. My neighbors thought I was crazy.

Storms excite me. There energy lift my spirit. I feel energized. I feel connected to life and all of its possibilities. It is a runners high. For me storms create that runners high. It is intense and passion. It is love and joy. It is fear and excitement.

It is summer and I watch the sky for storms. I watch the radar for possibilities of development. I track the progress and progression. I not only do this for thunderstorms but for hurricanes as well.

Summertime is not only beach time but storm watching time. Thunderstorms are just fun. Hurricanes can be exciting but can also be life threating or at least the potential for concern. So watching for hurricane development is more of a precaution then just fun but my passion and excitement never goes away.

I am watching the tropical wave in the western Caribbean. It doesn’t look like it has the potential to develop anytime soon. I watch the skies for potential thunderstorm development. So far some puffy white clouds. the few dark clouds passed by. No sign of any storms today. The day isn’t over yet. I will keep my eye on the sky.

 

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