Sally's GF3 thread

[NanaK]

Some very severe storms came through southern lower Michigan last evening.

No damage or problems by me. But Portage, MI was hit twice. 14 tornados in Michigan, awaiting confirmation by the National Weather Service.

Some injuries, no fatalities reported. LOTS of buildings damaged or destroyed. Pictures of a house that was lifted off its foundation and turned upside down. A FedEx facility has some major damage.

Someday it'll be "our turn." If that was last August (70 mph winds, some trees down, and a 4 day power outage), we are Lady Luck's own child.

Saw this on the news this morning.
Glad you were not affected.

 

[fuzzi]

Kudos to the Channel 8 (Grand Rapids) weather team. I turned the TV on at 5:40, and it was all weather, and they never went to commercial before we turned it off at 7:15. Didn't even go to the national news.

The town of Portage, MI, was hit with TWO tornados. That's about 90 miles south of us.

The chief meteorologist, Ellen Bacca, has family in Portage. She was giving the street level wind report, and her voice was breaking, sounding like she was holding back a sob. Blake Harms was the other meteorologist reporting, and told her, it's ok, I'll take over.

Yeah, what might I be feeling if I had to report that there were winds in excess of 110 mph at or near the street of someone I loved? How would I sound? I wouldn't have been able to hold it together as well as she did.

The fact that they can even get that level of accuracy is astounding to me. Their expertise and equipment/resources are phenomenal.

Our local stations broadcast continuously when tornadoes are forming in the county. I appreciate it, as not everyone has cable TV weather channels.

 

[cavemanrich]

There was severe weather not far from my location. About 35 to 45 miles. Hail golf ball size. Flash flooding in some areas as well.
We just got a light shower.

 

[Sally PB]

Michigan has never had a "tornado emergency" but we did yesterday. The tornado emergency means there is a confirmed tornado on the ground, with serious, imminent threat to property and human life.

I want to say a big THANK YOU to Storm Team 8; I bet their informed and accurate coverage may have saved lives yesterday. No fatalities reported, and I haven't heard of serious injuries either.

 

[aart]

Michigan has never had a "tornado emergency" but we did yesterday. The tornado emergency means there is a confirmed tornado on the ground, with serious, imminent threat to property and human life.

Not true.
There was one about 5 miles from here in 2018.
A huge one, F3 11 miles thru downtown Kalamazoo in 1980.

 

[Sally PB]

Wow! They mentioned that tornado on the news tonight. It was the noon news that said last night was the first tornado emergency. Did they not use that term in 1980?


Portage made the national news. Maybe because the FedEx facility was so badly damaged...?

Really, I don't mind Michigan NOT being on the national news.

 

[aart]

It was the noon news that said last night was the first tornado emergency. Did they not use that term in 1980?

Ehhh, who knows....I don't give such buzzwords much credence.

 

[Sally PB]

The next four days are going to be cool/chilly and damp/wet at times. After that, 70s, and 50s at night. Do I dare start hardening off the plants then?

I keep flashing back to last year. I had tomato plants in the ground on May 26, and we got a serious frost. I bought some plants to replace the ones that died.

This is my hardening off method.

Those are L/XL dog crates.

The plants sit outside in the garden, covered with a sheet for the sunniest part of the day, while they're still getting used to direct sunlight.

Then they're covered only at night. If we had threat of frost, I could throw another cover over them. Or carry them all back to the green house.

Don't the pepper plants (lower left corner) look puny!! compared to the tomatoes?

 

[NanaK]

The next four days are going to be cool/chilly and damp/wet at times. After that, 70s, and 50s at night. Do I dare start hardening off the plants then?

I keep flashing back to last year. I had tomato plants in the ground on May 26, and we got a serious frost. I bought some plants to replace the ones that died.

This is my hardening off method.
View attachment 3826325
Those are L/XL dog crates. View attachment 3826326
The plants sit outside in the garden, covered with a sheet for the sunniest part of the day, while they're still getting used to direct sunlight.

Then they're covered only at night. If we had threat of frost, I could throw another cover over them. Or carry them all back to the green house.

Don't the pepper plants (lower left corner) look puny!! compared to the tomatoes?

It is always hard for me to decide this too the way our spring temps flip flops up and down. Seems I always end up having to stick them back in the greenhouse at least 1-2 times.

I think this year's growing season is 2-3 weeks ahead. Although I am not ahead. Most of the veggies are planted but I still got lots of flowers to plant. I got happy with the seeds over winter again.

 

[fuzzi]

Not true.
There was one about 5 miles from here in 2018.
A huge one, F3 11 miles thru downtown Kalamazoo in 1980.

My father was stationed in Michigan in the early 1950s, at an Air Force base in Oscoda. He told me about a tornado that hit unexpectedly overnight, which he slept through.