Saturday, March 31, 2012
Storm pictures
Thursday storm
This article pretty well discribes the terrible storm we had here thursday night.
Weslaco was very lucky as I have not heard of any damage here and don't think we had any hail. It sure was windy and terrible lightening for several hours before the slow moving storm left us!
Historic Hail!
Mid Valley Blitzed by Hours of Hail, Wind, Flooding March 29th
Event
Intense thunderstorms raked the highly populated McAllen/Edinburg/Mission area of Hidalgo County during the mid evening of March 29th. The storms dumped hail up the size of baseballs for more than half an hour, drove that hail with 70 to 75 mph winds, added 4 to 6 inches of torrential rains, and produced frequent cloud to ground lightning. Initial storms developed across the King Ranch during the mid afternoon of March 29th, and spread west into northern Hidalgo and Starr County by early evening. The storms, fed by warm, humid air near the surface, colder air aloft, and boundaries (providing lift) from earlier storms which moved across the Coastal Bend, appeared to have intensified further as they approached the highly populated Edinburg/McAllen/Mission area. Why they intensified was a mystery, but one possibility was the interaction with an upper level disturbance moving across northeast Mexico. This disturbance spawned dangerous storms in Nuevo Léon and Tamaulipas, and boundaries from these cells may have been the ultimate trigger to a night hundreds of thousands will not forget.
Impact
The City of McAllen won’t soon forget the scary evening of March 29th. The following is a sampling of the damage and devastation experienced by many, particularly in the north half of the city.
•Wind and Hail. In a small portion of north McAllen (red square, below), up to an hour of continuous hail, driven by frequent winds estimated at 70 to 75 mph, knocked at least one window out of every north–facing home, defoliated nearly every tree, left up to a half foot of accumulated hail on the ground, and produced hail drifts up to 4 feet high. Numerous tree limbs were blown down, many homes had roof damage, and broken glass and water littered the north facing rooms and apartments. Hundreds of vehicles left outdoors were severely damaged by golf ball to baseball size hail dents, including many shattered windows.
At the McAllen/Miller Airport, a wind gust to hurricane force – 74 mph – was recorded, which came from the northwest. Surrounding the hardest hit areas, locations in central McAllen to the edge of Edinburg received less hail and wind, but still enough to strip many leaves from trees, knock down fences, dent vehicles, and damage some windows and roofs.
•Flooding and Rain. Torrential rain accompanied the hail; 4 to more than 6 inches fell in less than two hours, creating ice and water "rivers" with the height of the water as high as 4 to 6 feet in poor drainage locations. More than 100 vehicles were submerged and numerous others were abandoned during the peak of the storm. At one point, the city’s interconnected system of pipes, sewers, and drainage pools reached more than 90 percent of capacity. At one point, most of the city roads were under water.
•Other. Frequent to excessive lightning was common with the long duration storm. At least two apartment fires were preliminarily attributed to lightning strikes. Many residents noted lightning streaking across the sky from north to south, indicative of impressive positive and negative charge distribution through the depth of the storm. Pockets of steam quickly formed as hail began to melt, and rose above eye level reducing visibility to near zero.
•Assessment and Aftermath. For McAllen, the storm was epic. Given the magnitude, the community is fortunate to have escaped with no serious injuries and no fatalities as of this writing. Reasons may include time of day (mid to late evening), proactive services by the City’s Emergency Management apparatus, and good luck. In all, 217 persons were rescued from being trapped in hail and wind damaged homes and flood waters and more than 25,000 customers were without power during the peak of the storm. Insured and uninsured damages may tally $100 million – or more.
Weslaco was very lucky as I have not heard of any damage here and don't think we had any hail. It sure was windy and terrible lightening for several hours before the slow moving storm left us!
Historic Hail!
Mid Valley Blitzed by Hours of Hail, Wind, Flooding March 29th
Event
Intense thunderstorms raked the highly populated McAllen/Edinburg/Mission area of Hidalgo County during the mid evening of March 29th. The storms dumped hail up the size of baseballs for more than half an hour, drove that hail with 70 to 75 mph winds, added 4 to 6 inches of torrential rains, and produced frequent cloud to ground lightning. Initial storms developed across the King Ranch during the mid afternoon of March 29th, and spread west into northern Hidalgo and Starr County by early evening. The storms, fed by warm, humid air near the surface, colder air aloft, and boundaries (providing lift) from earlier storms which moved across the Coastal Bend, appeared to have intensified further as they approached the highly populated Edinburg/McAllen/Mission area. Why they intensified was a mystery, but one possibility was the interaction with an upper level disturbance moving across northeast Mexico. This disturbance spawned dangerous storms in Nuevo Léon and Tamaulipas, and boundaries from these cells may have been the ultimate trigger to a night hundreds of thousands will not forget.
Impact
The City of McAllen won’t soon forget the scary evening of March 29th. The following is a sampling of the damage and devastation experienced by many, particularly in the north half of the city.
•Wind and Hail. In a small portion of north McAllen (red square, below), up to an hour of continuous hail, driven by frequent winds estimated at 70 to 75 mph, knocked at least one window out of every north–facing home, defoliated nearly every tree, left up to a half foot of accumulated hail on the ground, and produced hail drifts up to 4 feet high. Numerous tree limbs were blown down, many homes had roof damage, and broken glass and water littered the north facing rooms and apartments. Hundreds of vehicles left outdoors were severely damaged by golf ball to baseball size hail dents, including many shattered windows.
At the McAllen/Miller Airport, a wind gust to hurricane force – 74 mph – was recorded, which came from the northwest. Surrounding the hardest hit areas, locations in central McAllen to the edge of Edinburg received less hail and wind, but still enough to strip many leaves from trees, knock down fences, dent vehicles, and damage some windows and roofs.
•Flooding and Rain. Torrential rain accompanied the hail; 4 to more than 6 inches fell in less than two hours, creating ice and water "rivers" with the height of the water as high as 4 to 6 feet in poor drainage locations. More than 100 vehicles were submerged and numerous others were abandoned during the peak of the storm. At one point, the city’s interconnected system of pipes, sewers, and drainage pools reached more than 90 percent of capacity. At one point, most of the city roads were under water.
•Other. Frequent to excessive lightning was common with the long duration storm. At least two apartment fires were preliminarily attributed to lightning strikes. Many residents noted lightning streaking across the sky from north to south, indicative of impressive positive and negative charge distribution through the depth of the storm. Pockets of steam quickly formed as hail began to melt, and rose above eye level reducing visibility to near zero.
•Assessment and Aftermath. For McAllen, the storm was epic. Given the magnitude, the community is fortunate to have escaped with no serious injuries and no fatalities as of this writing. Reasons may include time of day (mid to late evening), proactive services by the City’s Emergency Management apparatus, and good luck. In all, 217 persons were rescued from being trapped in hail and wind damaged homes and flood waters and more than 25,000 customers were without power during the peak of the storm. Insured and uninsured damages may tally $100 million – or more.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday March 26th
More Keep in Touch Comments
There so many empty seats at the Monday morning meeting today, and alot of folks raised their hands that they were going home this week. Soon it will be pretty quiet around here.
We elected a Summer Chairman, Jack Havertape and co-chair, Judy Nordquist.
I hope you view the Smile Box of Lloyd Mitz's 90th Birthday party, it was really a nice party, the food was great, the music was wonderful.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Monday March 19th
Hi everyone!
We had a good meeting this morning, I noticed quite a few empty seats. I am pretty happy that I don't have to pack up and go North.
The big news is we all voted to purchase a High Definition Projector System and a 16ft by 6 1/2 foot screen. We will be able to do so much with this equipment, movies, videos, slide shows, also A Blue-Ray DVD player, and blackout curtains for the hall. We are really getting "Hi-tech"
We also voted to hire The floor care people to get the dance floor in shape for next year.
Irene made and sent cards to Connie & Jack Bardon, Connie's Dad, heart attack, a card to George & Lorraine Studor, their Son died, and to Collen Clark, her husband Dale passed away. Peg Bloom, who fell and went to the hospital.
A 90th birthday Party will be held for Lloyd Mitz this Saturday 2 - 5pm
We also talked about purchasing some new chairs for the hall and card room, tabled it until next Fall.
This Poinsettia is at Ken & Anita Farleys, it's still so pretty!
The 2nd picture is one of my "Crown of Thorn" plants, I think they are so beautiful!This 3rd picture is of my Butterfly Pea Vine, it has both colors of flowers on it, I had ordered blue and received the white, so I wrote the co. and they finally sent me some blue seeds, now there are pods on the vine full of seeds! And the last picture is some more pretty flowers we planted.
We had a good meeting this morning, I noticed quite a few empty seats. I am pretty happy that I don't have to pack up and go North.
The big news is we all voted to purchase a High Definition Projector System and a 16ft by 6 1/2 foot screen. We will be able to do so much with this equipment, movies, videos, slide shows, also A Blue-Ray DVD player, and blackout curtains for the hall. We are really getting "Hi-tech"
We also voted to hire The floor care people to get the dance floor in shape for next year.
Irene made and sent cards to Connie & Jack Bardon, Connie's Dad, heart attack, a card to George & Lorraine Studor, their Son died, and to Collen Clark, her husband Dale passed away. Peg Bloom, who fell and went to the hospital.
A 90th birthday Party will be held for Lloyd Mitz this Saturday 2 - 5pm
We also talked about purchasing some new chairs for the hall and card room, tabled it until next Fall.
This Poinsettia is at Ken & Anita Farleys, it's still so pretty!
The 2nd picture is one of my "Crown of Thorn" plants, I think they are so beautiful!This 3rd picture is of my Butterfly Pea Vine, it has both colors of flowers on it, I had ordered blue and received the white, so I wrote the co. and they finally sent me some blue seeds, now there are pods on the vine full of seeds! And the last picture is some more pretty flowers we planted.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
F.Y.I.
Photos of all of us for our 2012-2013 pictorial album will be taken in February 2013. Monday the 11th ,12th 13th 14th, 15th and the 18th, 19th 20th & 21st. Kathy Graham will come to our Last Monday meeting in January, just before the meeting starts to give orientation and after that meeting I will start taking appointments for you to come in and get your pictures taken.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Monday March 12th
The stew feed is Saturday, Donalda said ticket sales were down quite a bit from last year. they're planning on 300
At todays meeting our mgr. said the season has really gone by fast, she sure was right. I know of quite a few people heading home already.
Our meeting went pretty fast this morning. Cards sent this week were to, Irvin Parks , former resident, had surgery, Bud Lykken, surgery, a card to the Bolte's, his Mother died, and a card to Ken Meyer, hospital, pneumonia.
More St Patricks Day Comments
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Hang on to your hat!
Our last Jam will be held tomarrow and the last out of park entertainment will be this Friday. Our Irish stew feed will be Saturday Mar.17th, then the next big event will be Easter Dinner.
Next year we will do a pictorial album. I think I will have people who take pictures, take pictures at their events or games if they would like them in the album. In the past I tried to take pictures at many of the events but I am sure others can take some good photos also. In the past I took pictures of shufflers, aqua sizers, line dancers, xmas parade, Western Days, pictures of various activities including card games etc. I want the pictures to be emailed to me or on a cd or flash drive or memory stick from their camera. I can't use an actual picture. So if I don't get a picture from an event it won't get in the book.
Irene sent cards to the Hilde's, death of their Son, and to Lou Guier's Family, she passed away, also to Dot Roush, her husband, Harvey died, they were former residents, I put up a card for Bud Lykken, he had surgery Wednesday.I am just doing cards for a short time until Irene gets back.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
From Brock
More Whats Up Comments
Howdy everyone -- Just returned home from a great night with Dixon and the Company Band. They put on a very nice show with a great mix of popular and not so popular country hits. The bass man was great and the vocals were very good. Next week, Mar 9, we have Jeff Gordon, from Branson, to close our entertainment season.
From gospel, rock and country, Jeff’s been entertaining audiences young and old with his versatility since he was 8 years old. For the last five years he has been doing an Elvis Tribute Show called “Magic of the King”. But he can do other artists as well such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tom Jones, Louis Armstrong, Marty Robbins, George Jones, Gene Watson and the list goes on and on. He intrigues audiences with his powerful voice that changes with every artist that he does. His versatility, spontaneity and style, seems to capture the audiences. He has released two country albums and his "Fearless Heart" album has had air-play all around the world.
Below is a link to a video that is both entertaining and shows the versatility of his vocal styling.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlwMdO8q0o8
Come on out for the last show of the season and enjoy Jeff Gordon.
The Chicken House Opry trip for Mar 11 is coming soon. Check the list at the back of the hall to ensure you are on the list. At present, all spots are filled, but if you know that you are not going to go, please let Brock know at 857-540-6766 so that people on the standby list can be slotted in.
Thanks for a great entertainment season.
Brock
Thursday, March 1, 2012
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