I was hiding in the closet during the first 2.5 inches while tennis ball size hail pounded the house, this lasted about 20 minutes. I was watching the NWS radar and they showed a tornado only 6 miles west moving straight for me. The radar showed a large circular spot with 75K' cloud tops surrounded by another circle of 70K' tops. The most violent looking and strangest weather I have ever seen. In my last look at the radar before heading for the closet, there were 7 tornado warnings and 15 severe storm warnings within 75 miles of me. I can't tell you how many storms I have ridden out telling everyone to stay calm it's not that bad. This storm I was afraid, very afraid.
The storm let up for a few minutes and the last 1.5" of rain in about 15 more minutes. I watched with amazement thinking that the creek had to run. The whole night was filled with excitement one minute, fear the next. When it finally cleared I went down to the creek and could hear the rumble before I got there. I went to where the creek runs in the pond and it was only three feet from spillway level already. This was about 12:30 PM best I can remember. I watched for 5 minutes and it came up a foot. I went back and got a new battery for my 18 volt flashlight and went back. It was only about a foot from the spillway and started to get scared again. What was that raging torrent going to do to my property? Whey the creek finally crested it was at my barn/ shop door and was up to the door on my storeroom. I was knee deep in water at one point!
I fell into bed about 5AM and woke up about 8 AM. I saw that the creek was barely running and no water was coming over my spillway. HUH? I went around to the far side of the dam and saw the second photo above. The creek running around the far side of the dam and flooding my neighbors field!
The water already looks much clearer now and I am very happy.
More to come!
