Soggy, but OK
July 12th, 2007I’ve never seen or experienced anything like the storm that just passed through here. We’re ok. Our animals are ok. Our house is ok.
There was nowhere to go, nothing to do but stay put and hope the wind didn’t blow the roof off the house. Even if we had wanted to leave, the roads were washed out in multiple places, or under water. The road below our driveway was a river. The bridge we would take to get to the coast was under water. The other way, toward Kaitaia… Swamps. Forget it.
The rain was so heavy that my satellite Internet connection couldn’t stay up. It just couldn’t punch through all the water that was falling through the sky. Incredibly, it works most of the time. But that storm wasn’t like most storms. I was able to use dialup, but the phone and power were crapping out occasionally. When the power was on, it was flickering. (I have a battery backup thing that isolates my computer gear from these conditions.)
Oh yeah, that was our second “fifty year flood” in less than six months.
Anyway… It’s sunny today.
Via: Radio New Zealand:
The Prime Minister says the flooding in the North Island appears more widespread than previous floods and will need a larger aid package.
Helen Clark spent Wednesday afternoon surveying the storm-affected area by helicopter, and says she saw a lot of pasture under water, and the area of Kaeo where the river burst its banks, flooding houses and businesses.
She says she is making sure the civil defence agency is able to carry out its job and assessing the damage, and will later look at how the Government can assist financially.
Miss Clark says the country is experiencing more adverse weather events, which are throwing up serious issues for councils.
She was joined on the helicopter flight by the Civil Defence Minister, Rick Barker, and the Far North Mayor, Yvonne Sharpe.
Mr Barker says the damage is extensive. He says it is extraordinary that this is the second storm in the area in only four months, and says the Far North has taken a real battering. Mr Barker says the upside is that people are well-practised in dealing with these events.
Up to 250mm of rain fell in the Far North on Tuesday – the average for the entire month of July. Ms Sharpe says about 700 people were evacuated from their homes because of flooding or the threat of flooding.
A state of emergency was declared in the Far North on Tuesday afternoon. Mrs Sharp says welfare centres have also been set up in Kerikeri, Paihia, Kawakawa, Kaeo, Kaikohe and Opononi.
How does this sort of weather affect your crops?
Hope everything stays ok!
We have a limited number of winter crops in. They’re mostly ok. We had a pea frame collapse.
So glad to hear you and your homestead “weathered the storm.” Shaken but not Stirred from your nest. That means its a good one.
Do you have a game of Scrabble? Seriously! Really helps occupy the senses in times of stress. Requires no batteries.
To get an understanding of the “new” weather http://www.jmccsci.com and look around.
he is a bit repetitive, have patience…
The last couple months we’ve had unseasonable rain (downpours, every other day!) during the DRY SEASON in Texas. Dallas/Ft Worth had actual flooding (which made the national news).
Normally Texas is dry as a bone during June, July, August.
Where I live, it’s the 7th wettest Jan-June in 130 years of recordkeeping. 1/2 hour north of me, it’s the 1st wettest!
What’s happening to the world?
Sounds like “dry” West Texas! Welcome to my world! And, Kevin, it sounds like you might want to learn how to fix a damaged dirt driveway and road.
The British Isles have been having abnormally heavy rain, largely attributable to the Jet Stream dumping low pressure further south than usual – this rain usually passes north of us at this time of the year.
I also heard that South America was having an abnormally snowy winter. And of course, central Europe had winter-style snowstorms a few weeks ago causing mayhem in the Alps, all on the back of an exceptionally mild winter and spring. So yes, the weather is behaving erratically all over the world it seems.
Glad you all are OK. We sure could use some of that rain here in the Southeastern U.S..
For those unaware,Here is Something to make you go HMMMMMM.It is long but worth the read.I came across it back in 2002. It is titled ‘Weather as a Force Multiplier:Owning the Weather in 2025’
http://www.fas.org/spp/military/docops/usaf/2025/v3c15/v3c15-1.htm
And some of my recent post on the subject of strange weather.
http://notanotherconspiracy.blogspot.com/search/label/Owning%20the%20Weather%20in%202025
Glad you made it.
Kansas hasn’t had a real winter in years, just a really long fall. It’s kinda creepy.
Here in east central Kansas, we got between 15 and 20 inches last week, depending on who you ask. Beat the record from 1951. The little town {“cradle of the civil war” – they call themselves} has levees and gates all around it and two rivers. They are still cleaning it up. I’ve been calling the storm last week, Kantrina.
Also have you noticed the lightening? It’s like the clouds are charged up with little sparks jumping between them, almost glowing.
@messianicdruid: Last week? Seriously? Freaky… it’s been sweltering in Lawrence.
I think this sums it up:
http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/midwest/2007/07/10/81508.htm
Like they say: in Kansas, if you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.
Good to hear all members of the farmlet are ok.
My uncle farmed in Northland for 50 years, and he always said it’s the wind direction you have to watch the closest. But they never had these floods like you’ve been having. And the second biggest tree in NZ had its top canopy blown off. Yes, a 2,000-year old kauri took a beating.
BTW, the Japanese mainland is bracing for a direct hit by one of the biggest typhoons ever seen in July. Right on the summer’s first three-day weekend. In Naha, Okinawa, they had 202 km/h wind gusts this morning. Some parts of southern Kyushu expect 1,000 mm of rain in a 24-hour period. That’s right, a metre of rain in a day.