What's the most fun you've had in a SE Storm?

[Crapper Jim]

That's easy for me.  1989 - Hurricane Hugo... Charlotte, NC.

 

I went to bed assuring my wife that Hugo would be a non-event.  

Sure enough... when I woke at 4am for my ritual workout - there was a 

light and unimpressive breeze.  I thought to myself, "hehe, see.. another event over-played."

 

5 minutes later.. (before I finished a pee)

... "Hell broke loose."  

 

Power went out instantly.  90+hr. winds, sparks flying from the sky...  crashing,

falling and... hauling!  I grabbed my son, barely a year old, and proceeded to dart

back-and-forth in the house based on what I discerned falling around us.  

 

For almost two hours... I had my son in my arms.  A hundred-year-old Oak fell

across the street before the first light in the morn.  I never knew what it was.  I just

heard it.  

 

We were without power for two weeks.  

My wife never witnessed.  She slept the front, eye, and back end. 

 

 

Yes, that was fun!  Nobody got hurt.  First time I witnessed the "fury" possible

in weather events. 

 

 

[mackerel_sky]

I feel you , crapper! I was in Gastonia at the time. I was 14, and just got a TV and cable in my room that day! I watched coverage all night and in the morning, it was total devistation! We were without power for 8 days. The thing I'll always remember was being at school the day before, it was all the buzz of course, the principal said smugly over the intercom" we have never missed a day due to a hurricane, and we are not gonna start tomorrow"

We were out for two weeks, lol! My favorite storm to have experienced was Jan 88 snow, living in Gastonia as well 14 inches, with a crust of freezing rain! Back to back years with my most memorable 2 storms!

[metalicwx366]

I have only been down here since November 2009 so my most fun moments in storms in the SE is lame. Chicago is another story though.

1. Tropical storm Beryl was fun with the rain and wind. Enjoyed that tropical storm, even though we missed a lot of the good rain bands.

2. The summer storm last year that dropped 5.93. Watched that entire storm. Basically was a stationary severe thunderstorm.

There were others, but these were the best.

[Crapper Jim]

Best Snow.

 

I was living just outside of Linville, NC in the early-mid 90's.  It was a Spring Storm.

Supposedly, 'the most historic upslope of all-time."  Of course, it's all elevation.

 

With 4" in my backyard... I drove alone the spine of The Blue Ride into Tennessee,

Watauga Lake - back into Boone.  What's that crappy road... Highway 9?  

 

What I witnessed was 2' of wet, fresh, gorgeous snow while all the roads were just wet.

I drove around all day!  It was still snowing west of Boone when I finished.

 

 

That impressed me.  If you're lucky and in the right place... 4-6" can grace you in the NC Mountains

in less than a couple hours.  <Love those mountain spring snows! 

[Crapper Jim]

I have only been down here since November 2009 so my most fun moments in storms in the SE is lame. Chicago is another story though.

1. Tropical storm Beryl was fun with the rain and wind. Enjoyed that tropical storm, even though we missed a lot of the good rain bands.

2. The summer storm last year that dropped 5.93. Watched that entire storm. Basically was a stationary severe thunderstorm.

There were others, but these were the best.

I remember calling my boss once from Charlotte.  A stationary storm (just east of the airport) had my yard flooded from behind to the street.

 

It took out my AC, back deck, and everything under my house.  Refrigerators, old high school buddies, and long-lost

missing aircraft were floating by me while I was trying to convince him (15 miles se) that I was not faking.  Most rain I've ever

seen in two hours. 4-5" range.

[Marion_NC_WX]

1. Nearly freezing to death March 13th 1993 was my kind of fun, j/k...that part in particular wasn't fun but the storm in general was amazing.

 

2. I was a child when Hugo came through...fortunately I was far enough west to receive fringe effects (50 mph winds and 3 inches of rain) but the gradient was so tight, 60 mph winds were about 15 miles east and hurricane force gusts were about 30 miles east.

 

3...and to this day still is one of the most underrated and under-reported events was the 2 week period in September 2004 where the remnants of Hurricane Frances and Ivan dumped as much as 16 inches of rain IMBY and as much as 30 inches of rain along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Upper Catawba River Basin was ravaged by flooding and landslides...the second highest water levels recorded in history. The sad thing about it...the state of Florida got so much media coverage that everyone else ignored a near 100-year flood in the Southern Appalachians 3 days later.

[downeastnc]

Hurricanes Bertha, Fran and Irene...

[BullCityWx]

My favorite snowstorm is probably still January 23rd, 2003.

My favorite thunderstorm was the heat wave busting storm in Columbia in 2011. Hail, incredibly loud thunder and heavy rain.

[toxictwister00]

Floods

The severe flooding we had here in Atlanta back on September 21, 2009. That was the first time I had ever actually experienced a serious flood in my neighborhood. 

 

Winter Storms

I'm biased to say the March 1, 2009 ULL just because I finally got to experience/witness thundersnow twice.

January 9, 2011 snowstorm was a lot of fun because of the snowfall rates and the flakes were very large at times. Plus i got a week off, I wasn't complaining. Senioritis was starting to kick in by that point anyway.

 

Hurricane (Tropical Storm) Ivan (2004) was interesting. The gusty, howling winds, heavy rain, flash flooding and even some lightning/thunder in a couple of the rain bands. 

[superjames1992]

January 25, 2000 is the best still.  So much sledding after that storm...  So much fun.  Of course, I missed most of the storm as my parents made me go to bed early as a kid.

 

As far as fun during an actual storm, I enjoyed March 1-2, 2009 a lot.  January 29-30, 2010 was a lot of fun, too.

 

This year's mid-February storm was great, but the changeover to sleet did irk me (even if it was expected).  I actually enjoyed the March ice storm a lot here (until the power went out......).  It was a real overperformer (my favorite) and though I'm not a huge fan of sleet, it was interesting to see it add up.  The day after was interesting.  The neighborhood roads were full of ridiculous slush and the main roads were filled with water.  Hydroplaning was a real issue!

[stepandfetch]

Hurricane Fran. Of course the meat of it hit the piedmont over night. I slept upstairs, until a bad dream about a tree falling through the roof woke me. I slept the rest of the night with my parents (I was in third grade.) Woke up the next morning, found a pine leaning on the roof right above my room. The only storm that comes anywhere close to the fury of Fran was the very intense bow echo on May 25th(?) in 2000. I was in school, in Burlington, NC, in between classes. It started so damn fast, and lasted only 10-12 minutes. I remember looking through the windows before it hit. My God the sky was so red and so violent. My French teacher joked, " I hope I can max out my credit cards on the internet before it kills us." We lost power for a day or two. After Fran, it took 10 days before Duke Power made it to our neighborhood.

[Cold Rain]

A) January 2000 Snowstorm

2) Hurricane Fran

D) December 2002 Ice Storm

[griteater]

That's easy for me.  1989 - Hurricane Hugo... Charlotte, NC.

 

I went to bed assuring my wife that Hugo would be a non-event.  

 

I was in high school during Hugo, and I remember laughing / shaking my head when my PE teacher mentioned that we might be out of school the next day (in Charlotte).  I figured it would pretty much be a non-event too.  As it turns out, there were tons of trees down across the city.  We were without power for a week and a half as I recall.  Out of school for at least a week I think.

 

Others of note:

1. Jan '88 snowstorm - cold and snowy.  I recall hardpacked snow on main rows for several days.

2. I remember a hailstorm in the 80's where the hail completely covered the ground white.  Only time I've seen that.  I'm pretty sure it was in May.

3. I lived in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi for a few years in the mid-90's.  I was living in Long Beach, MS in May 1995 and there was a 2 day storm that dropped 20 inches of rain.  Flooding everywhere.  One thing I remember about it was that they were doing the local 6PM news and during the telecast you could actually hear the rain hitting the building where they were inside doing the telecast.  Not sure of what the building structure was like, but that was some heavy rain.  

[jburns]

Most fun in a SE storm.  Can't really say in detail because I am a gentleman. I was in college.  It involved snow, high wind, freezing cold, no power and two cheerleaders.  mmm  memories.

[Isopycnic]

Fran.

[mackerel_sky]

Most fun in a SE storm. Can't really say in detail because I am a gentleman. I was in college. It involved snow, high wind, freezing cold, no power and two cheerleaders. mmm memories.

Not memories, dreams! Lol

[Crapper Jim]

I was in high school during Hugo, and I remember laughing / shaking my head when my PE teacher mentioned that we might be out of school the next day (in Charlotte).  I figured it would pretty much be a non-event too.  As it turns out, there were tons of trees down across the city.  We were without power for a week and a half as I recall.  Out of school for at least a week I think.

 

Others of note:

1. Jan '88 snowstorm - cold and snowy.  I recall hardpacked snow on main rows for several days.

2. I remember a hailstorm in the 80's where the hail completely covered the ground white.  Only time I've seen that.  I'm pretty sure it was in May.

3. I lived in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi for a few years in the mid-90's.  I was living in Long Beach, MS in May 1995 and there was a 2 day storm that dropped 20 inches of rain.  Flooding everywhere.  One thing I remember about it was that they were doing the local 6PM news and during the telecast you could actually hear the rain hitting the building where they were inside doing the telecast.  Not sure of what the building structure was like, but that was some heavy rain.  

Yes... I remember the '88 Snow in Charlotte. 11" IMBY.  

 

Extreme cold preceded that storm for days before.  I remember highs in the upper-teens.

Ground was frozen (rare for a storm in these parts).

 

It started at about 4am and snowed non-stop until about 4-5pm.  I remember the Accu-weather guy

on WBT radio forecasting a record breaking 17" 15 minutes before the storm ceased.  LOL

<Was a bit disappointed.  Broke my frozen hose pipe trying to wet the dry snow so that my wife and

I could build a snowman.

 

Yep... that snow hung around for at least a week.  Secondary roads were covered nearly that long.

 

 

 

<Don't really have my "fair share" of experience with hail.  I've seen dime-sized.  Nothing really notable.

I do vaguely remember the Raleigh area receiving inches of hail from news reports.  Can't tell you the year.

I'm sure somebody here remembers.

[Steven_1974]

January 87 in Winston-Salem. 18 1/2 inches of snow. Out of school for two straight weeks. Epic sledding that whole time.

[jburns]

Not memories, dreams! Lol

lol   Not everyone spends their youth fishing.

[Crapper Jim]

lol   Not everyone spends their youth fishing.

One of my favorite jokes, Stephen Wright:

 

There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.

 

 

<I'm a idiot, mostly.

[stepandfetch]

I've been on a youtube binge over Fran. Here are a few great videos. The first one mirrors what most of us saw that night

 

 

This was taken by Mark Sudduth (HurricaneTrack)

 

 

This was taken at Carolina-Kure Beach, at the peak of Fran. It is amazing to see Carolina beach back before the march of progress changed the landscape so much.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AkaO-rZqew

 

The last clip is of the nightly MSM news broadcast as Fran moved onshore.

 

Enjoy

[CAD_Wedge_NC]

      Well, the scariest storm was Hurricane Hugo, and we all know what happened with that one. Although I did witness the F4 tornado that came through my county just to my NW back in 1989. Stood out in my front yard and watched it as it passed. That was back before everyone had cell phones that could record video. I could have made some money off that one. The best was the Jan 1988 snowstorm (17 inches IMBY). Although, I have to admit this recent storm back in Feb that dropped 8 inches of snow in less than 4 hours, along with thunder-snow, was not too shabby either. The most fun was the Mar 1980 blizzard. I was 15 at the time and it was everything a kid could ask for heavy snow, frigid temps, and great sledding.

    The thing that got me interested in weather was the super outbreak in 1974. I was 9 years old at the time and I remember it well. Just like many folks today, I wanted to know more.

[VeronicaCorningstone]

Most fun? Hurricanes Bertha and Fran - watched some fools playing football outside during the middle of Bertha at an apartment complex near ECU, and rode out Fran in an old singlewide trailer with poor underpinning with a bunch of (stupid) college kids...absolutely ridiculous amounts of alcohol were involved.  As if you had any doubt.  

 

I'm sure if I could remember the big snow in March 1980 that would probably be my best memory, but I was only 3 then.  From the pics I had a great time, though

 

Scariest was the April 16 '11 tornado.  We were living in Wilson, I was uncomfortably pregnant, and my husband and I were hiding in a closet that might comfortably fit a small teenager.  It thankfully lifted 5 blocks away.  A few shingles gone, neighbor's fence damaged, some siding and insulation in the yard but otherwise things were okay at the house. 

 

What began my weather fascination was the March 28 1984 outbreak.  We were about 15 miles from the path of the Snow Hill/Ayden/Greenville tornado, my dad had a heart attack that night (brought on by worrying about the weather - he was farming at the time and worried about crops that had just been set out).  After he got out of the hospital a few days later, we rode on Hwy 43 out to where a trailer park had just been decimated.  Pink insulation in what trees were left, debris everywhere, brick homes off their foundations...it left quite an impression.   Between that, and the fear that every storm would send my dad back to the hospital, I was terrified of storms for many years - now it's not so much fear, but a great deal of respect for what Mother Nature can dish out. 

[snowblzchance N CLT]

I remember Hugo well. I was in college at what was then UNCC. I remember all the hype leading up to the storm and going to several "Hurricane" parties that evening. None of us really believed it would be a big deal. Woke up just before daylight to what sounded like a jet engine outside the apartment. We were young and foolish enough to open the front door to check things out. It took all of my roommates just to get the door shut! It was crazy to see all the debris flying through the air, at least what you could see. There was so much wind driven rain visibility was really poor. Then it went eerily quiet with the eye before all hell broke loose again! I mainly remember all the devastion with trees and power lines down everywhere driving around the city. We were one of the fortunate few; I think we had power back in 3 or 4 days. My parents who lived maybe 15 minutes away were without power for over two weeks.

 

My favorite snowstorm was definitely Feb. 26/27th, 2004! Measured just over 20" of snow at our rental house in southeast Charlotte with some drifts over 3ft!   Kids were out of school all week, I was out of work most of a week too! Our house was the third house on the right as you entered our neighborhood at the bottom of a hill where the road came down and curved to the left. My son was 4 years old at the time. He would get on the sled with me and we would take ride after ride right down to the front porch. I still have to chuckle a little bit remebering how he would just belly laugh the whole ride down. We got to enjoy that snow for at least 4 or 5 days. GOOD TIMES!!

[downeastnc]

Most fun? Hurricanes Bertha and Fran - watched some fools playing football outside during the middle of Bertha at an apartment complex near ECU, and rode out Fran in an old singlewide trailer with poor underpinning with a bunch of (stupid) college kids...absolutely ridiculous amounts of alcohol were involved.  As if you had any doubt.  

 

I'm sure if I could remember the big snow in March 1980 that would probably be my best memory, but I was only 3 then.  From the pics I had a great time, though

 

Scariest was the April 16 '11 tornado.  We were living in Wilson, I was uncomfortably pregnant, and my husband and I were hiding in a closet that might comfortably fit a small teenager.  It thankfully lifted 5 blocks away.  A few shingles gone, neighbor's fence damaged, some siding and insulation in the yard but otherwise things were okay at the house. 

 

What began my weather fascination was the March 28 1984 outbreak.  We were about 15 miles from the path of the Snow Hill/Ayden/Greenville tornado, my dad had a heart attack that night (brought on by worrying about the weather - he was farming at the time and worried about crops that had just been set out).  After he got out of the hospital a few days later, we rode on Hwy 43 out to where a trailer park had just been decimated.  Pink insulation in what trees were left, debris everywhere, brick homes off their foundations...it left quite an impression.   Between that, and the fear that every storm would send my dad back to the hospital, I was terrified of storms for many years - now it's not so much fear, but a great deal of respect for what Mother Nature can dish out. 

 

Fran in a trailer had to be interesting, it was rough in my parents two story brick lol....as you know the winds were sustained 60-70 for a while and gusting 100-110mph, it was lifting my parents carport so I can only imagine you had to be drunk to ride it out in a small trailer.....I so wish she had hit during daylight.

 

March 28th 84 was bad and the big F4 got to within 1-1.5 miles of us and it was peaking out at the time, the sound was horrible and it rained debris for 20-30 mins, we tried to get closer since my cousins lived in the damage path but couldn't get there until the next day luckily they had little real damage but 200 yrds up the road and there was nothing but slabs.

 

Winter weather is not in the same league to me as the above but Mar 1980 was awesome as was Dec 3 2000.

[Crapper Jim]

I remember Hugo well. I was in college at what was then UNCC. I remember all the hype leading up to the storm and going to several "Hurricane" parties that evening. None of us really believed it would be a big deal. Woke up just before daylight to what sounded like a jet engine outside the apartment. We were young and foolish enough to open the front door to check things out. It took all of my roommates just to get the door shut! It was crazy to see all the debris flying through the air, at least what you could see. There was so much wind driven rain visibility was really poor. Then it went eerily quiet with the eye before all hell broke loose again! I mainly remember all the devastion with trees and power lines down everywhere driving around the city. We were one of the fortunate few; I think we had power back in 3 or 4 days. My parents who lived maybe 15 minutes away were without power for over two weeks.

 

My favorite snowstorm was definitely Feb. 26/27th, 2004! Measured just over 20" of snow at our rental house in southeast Charlotte with some drifts over 3ft!   Kids were out of school all week, I was out of work most of a week too! Our house was the third house on the right as you entered our neighborhood at the bottom of a hill where the road came down and curved to the left. My son was 4 years old at the time. He would get on the sled with me and we would take ride after ride right down to the front porch. I still have to chuckle a little bit remebering how he would just belly laugh the whole ride down. We got to enjoy that snow for at least 4 or 5 days. GOOD TIMES!!

<Regret I missed that one as a Charlotte native.  A "tongue" of precip gave me 8" in Avery County.  Talked to my Dad in Charlotte

that eve.  He guessed about 12" in SW Charlotte.  20"+ toward SE Charlotte.  I was watching the radar all day.

 

Incidentally, though not involved at the epicenter of the storm, my snow in Avery produced the highest snowfall rate I've seen.

2-3" per hour... if only for one hour.    

 

<Remember that Charlotte plows nearly eliminated road reflectors... big story after the storm.