2003-07-31
More Freak Weather

I work about 30 miles away from home, so what the weather is there is often not the same here, and vice versa. Well, shortly after I wrote my last entry, we had the freak weather here at work.

Since my office is next to a dry lakebed, it started with winds picking up a huge cloud of dust that limited visibility and irritated the eyes and nose. Eventually, though, the dust cloud was driven away by rain, and then by hail. There was lightning in abundance, often hitting places on the ground. One of the transformers in the neighborhood blew up as a result. I wonder how many people are deprived of power, and how they are doing.

We were ordered to shut off computers and all other electronics and to go home.

We had a storm like this Friday, but not as severely. Last time, the dust cloud resulted in a fire alarm. Some say the dust looked like smoke to the sensors, others say that the dust looked like smoke to a person. Either way, we were advised to ignore fire alarms and stay in the building.

There was minor flooding around home, but nothing severe. They've been cleaining up. It's been an interesting time, but I think the weather is over.

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