And the Funnel Cloud Went Right Over Us

Was heading out this evening to put the hay bales I have under the tarp up into the hay loft. I figure they been stacked long enough that any danger of combustion is past. About the minute I yelled up to my son to come help me I started hearing rain drops and small hail stones hitting the wood furnace pipe.

Oh well I guess that ends that plan.

So I waited the fast moving rain storm out. It didn't take very long although it did rain kinda hard for a few minutes and refilled all the puddle spots that had almost dried in the driveway. As soon as the rain slacked off I went out and looked up to see a long white tail/funnel cloud hanging out the bottom of the thunderhead that had just passed over.

I watched the thing come down into the neighbors field about 200 yards away which is planted in Alfalfa this year. Bounce back up into the air over a short line of four or five houses and then extend it's base down once more and apparently touched down in another field and crossed a gravel road about 2 miles East of the Small-Hold.

I stole this picture from a local news agency because by the time I ran in to get my camera and got back out the thing was gone having been sucked back up into the thunder cloud. I doubt it would even classify as an F1 tornado but it was kinda neat to watch. I have never seen one touch down that close before. I think my neighbor suffered a strip of Alfalfa plants ripped out that was maybe 5 feet long. I should call him and suggest he put in for emergency relief or something. Why I bet the loss of those plants will cost him 20 bucks or so in the long run.

The trajectory of the thing means it literally passed right over the house and the barn before touching down in my neighbor's field. I didn't notice it hanging down until it had passed over us heading East  about 100 yards. I doubt it was even strong enough to rip the sheet metal off the roof of the barn had it come down on us but I am happy we didn't test my theory anyway.

Never a dull moment around here I guess.

Keep Prepping Everyone....

And build a storm cellar  :)