STORMS ARE CALMED BY GENTLE PRAYERS

I’m sure Wednesday and Friday are just a warm up to what Spring will actually bring us. However, those storms proved worthy of some respect.

As it happened, Judy was out and about in Knoxville Friday, but got home before I did.

I had to pick Lily up from school at 1:30, so the prelude to the evening of anxious TV weather watching began with a warm-up line of storms that passed just ahead of me on my way to Knoxville. However, they were just some heavy rains riding the first wave. I shot a couple of photos of the weird clouds going up I-40, and of the rain while I waited in line for her to be released.

They had given a “tornado warning” on the way up, so I was afraid they would keep her longer...waiting until the warning was lifted. However, she was released at about 1:40, and the rain had stopped.

The rain held off, so I decided to stop at Chic-fil-a in Oak Ridge, and let her play before heading on home.

Corey picked her up just before 4, and after glancing at the radar on TV, decided he’d better get on home in Knoxville.

The second round came in around 6:30, and I could see dark clouds passing rapidly to the east. The clouds were again weird, zipping along, at the will of the wind, and displaying strange colors. 

Judy and I tried to watch some recorded shows between storm systems and warnings, but after several interruptions from the EAS, we stopped trying to entertain ourselves, and just watched Channel 10 weather. 

Wednesday evening, the storms had broken up after hitting Walden’s Ridge, as usual, but they were stronger on Friday evening and spilled over into the valley.

After squeezing through the gap above Rockwood, and flowing down into the valley, the storms had been weakened just enough to just give us heavy straight line winds, lots of lightning, heavy rain. However, the heaviest, scariest, part of the wind and rain only lasted about 15 minutes. It was just after they announced for Rockwood, Kingston, and Harriman to take cover!

Judy and I stood around in the basement during that time, but soon went back to watch the reports. 

One after one, they came! The strong systems came in rapidly too, moving from 45 to 60 mph.

Finally, one lined up on us and we held our breath!   However, like I said, after reaching the edge of the plateau and hitting the ridge line, it lost some of its energy.  Saved again!

I was thankful for the mountains, my answered prayers, but when I called mom I knew the real story! She had been sitting in her large walk-in-closet, in one of her stored folding chairs, flashlight by her side, and reading her Bible.

That’s what really saved us all! Thanks mom!