Crazy Winds & A Wild Storm...

They predicted wild weather today and it turns out they were right for once. I was rushing down to Partridge Creek in Utica to return some things after the world's longest graduation ceremony. Bruce's class video taped a graduation for a small school today and despite the fact there were only 60 some graduates it took 2 hours. Wow! So at 4:30 pm I knew that if I got down there I would have 45 minutes to run my errands. Well right before I got there the ran came and so did the wind. It was blowing so hard that it literally lifted Amber (my car) off the ground. I parked and ran into Nordstorm, well tried to run inside. The wind was blowing so hard, I could not pull the doors open. The tornado sirens were blaring. I had to put one leg on the other door (yes I was in a skirt, but drastic times call for drastic measures) and pull the door open. Now why the two women that were just sitting on the chairs at the doors watching me struggle did not rise to help me, I don't know. But note to anyone sitting at Nordstrom's watching a panicked woman in a rain storm, help her. When I finally mustered up the strength to get inside, I had apparently attracted the attention of all the sales people (who also just watched me.) They came over to see if I was ok, which was nice. But no one in Nordstrom's seemed to realize that there was a tornado warning outside and it was raining sideways, or the wind was so strong that trees were bending sideways - it was almost surreal.

I stayed in the store until the storm passed. However, I was probably the most freaked out shopper these sales ladies had seen in quite some time. Once the storm passed, I started my trek back up M53 to Lapeer County. As I drove you could see the storm damage get worse. When I got to the small town of Almont it was probably the worst. That's where the picture from above came from. Water was just spewing out of the water tower, which meant I had to pull over and snap a photo. Then the journalist in me had to call channel 4 and WWJ to let them know what was going on. WWJ had me on live (yes I was part of their storm team coverage, I know I am lame.) I got to tell Bill Ripota about my drive from M-59 to I-69 along M-53- practicing all those techniques I learned as a producer.

I am home safe and sound now. But needless to say, I am still pretty worked up from this whole ordeal. I am sure this isn't the worst storm I have lived through - however, it is the worst storm that I have been in and not been near home or some kind of reasonable shelter.