Flooding Follows Me to the Desert
2008 has been a very active year for flooding in the St. Louis area. If memory serves me correctly I believe historically this was the second wettest year on record. We had three distinct flood events, one in the spring and two during the summer. The theory in the Public Affairs Office was that I was some how inextricably linked to the floods. They seemed to start just as I was coming back to work from either leave or some other travel for work.
Well, it seems that flooding has followed me to the desert. Saturday began overcast but I couldn't tell for sure if it was going to rain. But a bolt of lightening right about lunch time signaled the start of a terrible down pour. On top of that it began to hail. I learned that hail in Arabic is haloob.
Here is a picture taken on top of the building I work in. The hail makes it look like snow.
The hail collecting on top of the flooded streets made it look like ice flows on some sea or ocean. I will openly admit it...I did everything possible to stay dry and not get my shoes or pants wet. Here is a brave soul that crossed the street right in front of our headquarters building. Note that the water is up over the curbs...you can't even see them. And this was maybe an hour into the storm.
People were trying all kinds of ways to stay dry, some were convinced someone to carry them across, others got piggy back rides, some ran and still others tried a make-shift version of galoshes.
This next picture you'll see someone in the background being carried throught the water. The trucks on the left played a very important role in clean up. Workers spent the night sucking up all the water in the main streets and when I came to the office the next morning, all the water you see in the streets was gone.
And if that wasn't enough adventure for one day...during the storm lightening struck a generator on the compound across the street (the one I live on) and the generator caught fire.
The wild weather has followed me...so there just may be something to Alan and George's theory. I hope you enjoyed the photos.
Well, it seems that flooding has followed me to the desert. Saturday began overcast but I couldn't tell for sure if it was going to rain. But a bolt of lightening right about lunch time signaled the start of a terrible down pour. On top of that it began to hail. I learned that hail in Arabic is haloob.
Here is a picture taken on top of the building I work in. The hail makes it look like snow.
The hail collecting on top of the flooded streets made it look like ice flows on some sea or ocean. I will openly admit it...I did everything possible to stay dry and not get my shoes or pants wet. Here is a brave soul that crossed the street right in front of our headquarters building. Note that the water is up over the curbs...you can't even see them. And this was maybe an hour into the storm.
People were trying all kinds of ways to stay dry, some were convinced someone to carry them across, others got piggy back rides, some ran and still others tried a make-shift version of galoshes.
This next picture you'll see someone in the background being carried throught the water. The trucks on the left played a very important role in clean up. Workers spent the night sucking up all the water in the main streets and when I came to the office the next morning, all the water you see in the streets was gone.
And if that wasn't enough adventure for one day...during the storm lightening struck a generator on the compound across the street (the one I live on) and the generator caught fire.
The wild weather has followed me...so there just may be something to Alan and George's theory. I hope you enjoyed the photos.
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