life goes on

A "super derecho" of violent thunderstorms left a more than 700-mile trail of destruction across the Midwest and mid-Atlantic on Friday, cutting power to millions and killing thirteen people.

More than 600 damaging wind reports were received by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) as the derecho took roughly 12 hours to race from northern Indiana to the southern mid-Atlantic coast.

A derecho is defined as a widespread and long-lived wind storm that accompanies rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. The most severe derechos are given the adjective "super."

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

I have been utterly fascinated by the storm that pretty much whipped up over the entire state of West Virginia last Friday (and several others). We were in Pennsylvania and I used by stalker-like social media addiction to look at pictures, get real time updates, read news articles and just be amazed. Amazingly, Morgantown was spared the wrath although about 40 miles directly west, New Martinsville took a real beating. My parents are still without electricity and lots of people we know in Charleston, too. Today is Day #6 high 90's temps and even hotter "real feel" temps b/c of humidity.

The stories and pictures are incredible - the heat, ice, cooling stations, gas stations running out of gas, generators, trees, people helping people, people not helping people, people getting to new places and the electric going out there. 244,000 people in WV are still without electric.

The weird thing is that life goes on. Here in Morgantown, you would never really know. We came home on Sunday to a house of electricity and marvelous central air. We went to the pool, Walmart more times than I'd like to share, played with friends, had a fridge full of food and had friends over for dinner. We saw some acquaintances who were "refugees" (usually in Walmart). But you would never know that people are in such a predicament everywhere else.

I don't know. It's just weird that life can be so consuming in one sense for so many, yet life goes on. I've felt that before in life. Especially in times of tragedy and loss. How can others function when your world has just been rocked? It does. And it will.

There's really no point at all to this. Just something I've been thinking about. But I will share this . . .

Monday morning Ben and I were looking at pictures and talking about things. We had passed about 50 utility trucks on their way south on I-79 the day before (now that makes you want to cry). We were talking about no electricity and no AC. I was definitely feeling guilty over the whole thing. Ted piped up and said, "Mom, we should turn off our AC since other people don't get to have theirs." Ted is not really the compassionate, merciful type like that. It was a sweet, sweet thought . . . that never turned into action.

To all our friends and family out there without electric, I'm really sorry. I pray things get back to "normal" soon.

trucks on the way to help

our local lowe's