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Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Hail, BP

While we did not have a tornado here, we had excitement. Monday night, I tried to get some plastic drop cloths but at Lowe's we were told to get in the back of the store. Nothing was happening except on the siren front. Before I left home, I had heard the tornado warnings were 20 miles to the north. I was not going into the back of the store, so I tried to leave. A woman was locking the door and told me I had to go to the back of the store.

In a loud voice I told her to let me out NOW. She did. I would have called 911 and told them I was being held captive.  There is nothing that annoys me more than being forced to do something "for my own good."

Wm had closed, too. And, it was not even Christmas.

I came home very annoyed. The only two times a tornado had damaged my house, a bit of roofing was snatched off and rain came in, so plastic drop cloths seem like a very necessary bit of tornado insurance.

Finally, about 2:30 or so, all Hell broke loose here. I was just paralyzed listening to the hail. It was as large as pingpong balls about 30 minutes later when I decided to look out the back door. The kitchen window was intact and I am not sure how it held up because the noise and number of hail strikes was alarming.

Earlier, I had parked my car where that if a limb fell, hopefully it would not hit my car or at least break a window. Now, I worried about hail damage. I rushed out to see if my car was okay. It was about 5 am and three cars passed as I was trying to see with my flashlight if the windows were damaged.

All well okay with my car, although it appears there is one dimple on the hood. No problem.

I still wanted to go to WM, so I went out. All the cars in several car lots on the way looked like the windows were icy. No, that was multiple hail strikes. One window on a car in a parking lot looked like a bowling ball had been dropped through it. Some cars had not front or rear windows, just gaping holes. This all must have happened earlier because exbf was up and I told him about the car lots.

When he came to pick me up on Tuesday morning, I had had 45 minutes sleep. We went to bank, tried to go to WM, and I went to Lowe's. WM was still closed and it was still not Christmas Day.

When I went into Lowe's, there was barely room to get into the front door. There was a table set up for people to sign up for repair work estimates. There was a huge display of brooms, mops, paper towels, gloves, hammers, and boxes of plastic. The plastic was in boxes about 12x12 inches x 4 ft, massive boxes. Back in the broom aisle, a guy was wrestling the big and wide brooms. Employees were dismantling shelves to get things to the front. AMAZING.

People were buying massive tarps and little strips of stuff that I think is called furring, maybe wrong name. She said those went on top of tarps on the roof, nailed down to keep the tarps on.

Manager of BK lost three cars to hail. No windshields. He said the dining room was destroyed even though the drive-through was open. Hail came through the roof and through the ceiling.

A strip mall near the theater had no lights on in any of the stores. Insurance adjustors were out snapping photos, measuring, and making notes while managers from the stores stood out front. Yes, we did a bit of sight-seeing and rubber-necking.

Men were on tops of most stores in town. If you could see no one on the roof, there was a 20ft+ ladder leaning against the store.

WM just opened today, Wednesday, at noon. I was told all the skylights blew out and much merchandise was ruined. They were spending Tuesday examining and removing the damaged merchandise. That was what I was told on Tuesday.

When I got out of Lowe's, I noticed flowers in the roadway. So, I told exbf I was going to look. In the greenhouse, it was a disaster. So many flowers were in the aisles in broken pots with most of the dirt spilled out. The hail took a toll. Employees were scooping up whole areas and tossing into garbage cans. No, they would not let me have anything!

All this was on the road from my house to WM. We did not branch out around town. I have never before witnessed hail damage. When I was talking with a friend from the country, miles from here, she said her daughter only had the kitchen left without damage and that is where they were living since she could see the sky from every room and all was damp. Her cousin in town had same hail damage but no room left dry and she could see the sky, too.

Talking in passing with those at church, it seems many people suffered from this. Maybe that is why there was about 1/4 as many people at the lunch.

We went to a church lunch: baked boneless, skinless, chicken breasts; green beans; piece of buttered bread; huge salad with tomatoes. A bar of items like shredded cheese, dressings, eggs, and croutons were set out. I chose carrot cake and he chose white cake with white frosting. I had ordered two to-go-boxes before we arrived.

A guy brought a wheel chair for exbf and even got his lunch for him. I parked the car and got my lunch. It was delicious. A new friend from a few months ago sat with us and we had good conversation. Someone wheeled him out.

I felt so ill and mostly exhausted that I came back home to rest after I put food in the oven. Well, I got the appointment time wrong and only lay down for 30 minutes. I had carrots, onions, potatoes in a pan and in oven. Garlic, salt, and pepper and olive oil were for taste. I turned the oven off and went to doctor awhich was a disaster, so I will tell it later...lol.

The doctor's visit was long and grueling, so I packed up the half-cooked vegetables and got his boxed lunch from the refrigerator. I gave him bread, box of cereal, 1/2 Dutch Apple Pie,  and gallon of milk and sent him on his way. He said he did not mind having the same thing for lunch and dinner. So, today, Wednesday, he still has not cooked the vegetables.

The BP report was not good at all, but I am going back to bed.


34 comments:

  1. What a storm! I've never been in a hail storm like that. It must have been very loud.

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    Replies
    1. One,
      It was deafening here. I cannot imagine what it was like near the car lots.

      Delete
  2. Hail storms can be terrifying.
    I can remember one which hit years ago. All the cars in the car lot looked as if they had been hit (repeatedly) with a hammer. Most had no glass, and the upholstery was ripped.
    Insurance firms/repair companies got a windfall.

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    Replies
    1. The glass that was there was white, like, ice, so at first I could not figure out what I was seeing. It only took a second to realize the glass was shattered and still there. Oh, I am sure lots is being made from this misfortune.

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  3. sounds like a really bad storm! we had one years ago that broke two windows in the house,- damaged all the cars in local car lots- it was pretty scary.

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    Replies
    1. Jan,
      It was bad. I have not even mentioned miles of tornado damage that was not where I looked. I still have not looked to see if any other windows in the house were broken. It was scary when it happened and even looking at other places in daylight.

      Delete
  4. I know you won't like this but I think you were very foolish to have ignored the warning - and I strongly suspect that if the police had been called they would have arrested you. You put yourself and others at risk at the store as they tried to do as directed and you put first responders who may have had to come to your rescue at risk. It was obviously a very bad storm and you should have sheltered in place as directed. Very foolish.

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    Replies
    1. Margie,
      No, I do not like your response at all. I put no one at risk because the woman was locking the door as I told her to unlock it. So, maybe she spent another ten seconds. The police would be hard put to arrest anyone as their were dozens of police out. Okay, I just called police and they would not arrest anyone out during a tornado siren.

      I had just seen the radar and knew where the warning was directed. People have to listen to the siren if the tornado is in their county. Maybe you do differently in Toronto. Get your facts straight for AL. NO, I was not foolish at all.

      Delete
    2. I believe you are in Alabama - according to your own Weather people & Warning System you did exactly the wrong thing i.e.

      LARGE RETAIL/SHOPPING CENTER
      …Go to a designated storm shelter (ask in advance).
      …Get away from outside walls, glass, and large rooms.
      …Stay out of mall walkway areas.
      …Stay away from outside walls and windows.
      …Get under a table, behind a counter or in a restroom or small storeroom.
      …DO NOT GO TO YOUR PARKED CAR. Their capital letters not mine.

      Delete
    3. Margie,
      The tornado warning happened after I left my house, hence the fact I was out. The warning for the county is for the whole county. It was nowhere near me.

      I have to hear tornado sirens from areas affected that are 30 miles from me. I was complaining about that to exbf, his county is even larger, so he has to listen to more siren warnings than I do.

      I was here. You were not. No I did not do exactly the wrong thing!

      Delete
    4. I am also in Alabama and the tornado sirens blare when a tornado is spotted anywhere in your county. There can be an active tornado in Jefferson County (mine) that is actually 25- 35 miles from my home. Those of us who live in tornado zones pretty much know when to shelter and when we can go about our businesses safely because our TV stations immediately go to weather only mode and they have radars that pinpoint almost to the street where the winds are tracking.

      Delete
    5. Anne,
      Thanks for the explanation and confirmation. I am amazed when I see the map and hear the event is on the corner of this street and that street.

      Delete
  5. I am happy that your home and yourself is fine.

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  6. My goodness! We used to get hail like that in Dallas all the time. There would constantly be hail damage sales at the dealers. One of the reason I am ADAMANT about parking our cars in the garage, even though Houston does not get large hail.

    Take care of that BP - silent killer! I worry about you!

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    Replies
    1. Jennifer,
      In my memory we have never had hail like this. Usually, it is less than penny sized. But, from the sound I knew this was much larger. Good idea about the parking.

      I think the bp was a situational thing. Tomorrow, I will write about it.

      Delete
  7. So glad you did not have damage. Many years ago, in CT, we had hail storm with big hailstones like yours. We were OK but 2 car dealers had 'scratch and dent' sales.

    A friend's brother lived in TX, several years ago, and a hail storm took out the LR and MBR windows putting glass slivers covering the carpets. Had to have it all replaced - no way to be sure all the glass was removed.

    You probably were not allowed any of the plants because of the store's insurance policy. If anyone had cut themselves on a glass shard from the plant a lawsuit may have been filed. And you know what kind of extraordinarily huge dollar amounts are involved. Personally, I would have taken the chance as I'm quite careful, but that's just me.

    Take care of yourself, BP is a tough one. My hubby runs a 200+/100+ every single time he sees a doctor. At home it's 150/80 and he has a BPcuff that records the readings on the computer so he can prove it.

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  8. Bellen,
    I hope to never see another hail storm like this one.

    These plants were outside or in the part of the nursery where it is open sky. No glass was broken at Lowe's. I am sure it is just policy that trash is not given away. Too bad.

    Poor guy, the doctors are scaring him to death. I have had the occasional high reading when at a dr I particularly hated. I think my high bp was and is meds just prescribed along with no sleep and nasty receptionist. Plus, I had lots of iced tea which probably was not decaf like I drink.

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  9. I am glad you are safe. Mother Nature can be nasty sometimes!

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    1. Alex,
      Thanks, me too. Mother Nature scared lots of people this time.

      Delete
  10. I've got PTSD about hail after my experience last Summer in Idaho.

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    Replies
    1. slugmama,
      I don't recall hearing about that. Can you relay that? Maybe on a blog post? I am so sorry you had such a bad experience.

      Delete
  11. Replies
    1. Franny and Danny,
      It was. Next post will have more.

      Delete
  12. Oh yeah hail is nasty. Once when we lived in Chicago, it was hailing golf ball sized balls. I grabbed an umbrella and ran out the front door to collect a few..foolish I know but I wanted to save in the freezer which I did! Do you have a BP monitor at home? I bought one and use it occasionally- my BP is fine with medication but the women in my family all seem to have problems with it as they age. My husband who died of a heart attack always had low blood pressure though but hypertension is nothing to fool with as you know.

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    Replies
    1. Nan,
      Well, I was going to get some, too, but it was raining cats and dogs, too. Trying to hurry down the steps would have been treacherous. Plus, I was too ill to even think about getting soaked. At least you got something to sort of protect your noggin.

      No, I don't have a bp monitor. I have never wanted one until now. A pharmacist used one on me from off the shelf, not the kind used with a stethoscope, and it hurt me so bad because she strapped it around my elbow. As it inflated, it felt like I was hit in the elbow with a hammer. The nurse at the doctor's office the other day used a similar one and it was soft and fine. She did not need a stethoscope with hers, either.

      It does not run in my family.

      A nurse friend about 50 years ago said low blood pressure was not a medical problem, but that "we just lose you faster."


      Delete
  13. You sure do seem to have a lot of night adventures. Don't you sleep at night? I never even pulled all-nighters in college!
    My neighbor is an assistant store manager at WM. I told her if I didn't know what she did for a living, I'd think she was up to no good with the crazy hours she comes and goes. She, on the other hand, giggles about how she can pass my house at 9 p.m., and see we have retired for the night. Different strokes, I guess.

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    1. Meg,
      I do sleep, just different hours than you do. Even if I were asleep, the nearness of the tornado siren would awaken me. Plus, the hail the other night would wake the dead. I am a night owl and sleep most nights and into the morning. Then again, if I go to bed at 10 and accidentally sleep, I am awake at four or five or maybe sleep as late as 7 am. It all depends on if I have been ill, have any place to go early...just like you...lol.

      Delete
  14. Yikes!!!! What an adventure and nightmare all rolled into one!

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    1. McVal,
      It was both. I hope not to have too many of those.

      Delete
  15. Glad you weren't hit by the tornado.I was watching the weather and saw it was north of you. There are going to be some major scratch and dent sales coming up soon because of the hail.
    I was glad Jax State was on spring break since it looked like their dorms were hit pretty badly.

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    1. Anne,
      Yes, it was nowhere near me. I think it might have done less damage than the hail. I would like to benefit from sales. I can only imagine 8000 students on campus when roofs were down and no electricity for days. I, too, was glad they were on Spring Break.

      Delete
  16. Storms of any kind are scary, glad you were ok.

    All the best Jan

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    Replies
    1. lowcarb,
      Thank you. This was my first hailstorm, so it really was frightening.

      Delete

Okay, hoping the annoyances have gone away.