Why the name Ranch Chimp? it was in humour because, science says that humans have similar DNA to a chimpanzee,so I felt some way related biologically to a chimpanzee. 2nd, everytime I was out of Texas on a vacation or for whatever reason I’m always asked things like, do I live on a ranch?,or have cattle? so I commonly call Dallas the Ranch. "Politically Depressed" was also humour inspired by the 1993- 2002 Bill Maher TV/ tele show "Politically Incorrect".
Friday, June 14, 2019
DALLAS STORM 09 JUNE, 2019: Sudden Severe Summer Storm Swarm on The Ranch ... The "Summertime Blues" Edition ... (TASTE OF TEXAS PT.34)
Rain gush hammers downtown Dallas **** this photo taken from approximately 7 miles west of downtown Dallas over the Trinity River
This posting will serve as Part 34 of the "Taste of Texas" series for this journal/ blog. I wanted to record this event of a summer storm we just had here in Dallas, that came the afternoon of last sunday 09 June 2019. Severe summertime storms and hail are very common here in Dallas, and at times, it can be a blessing from nature, due to the hot summers here too. But this was NOT the average thunderstorm, is why I wanted to record this in here. Even though summer isn't officially till the solstice of June 20th- 22nd ... summer in Dallas is all of June, July, and August. This storm was really a hard hitting storm though, as far as intensity, winds were 60 to 80 miles an hour, straight line winds, not a tornado or hurricane winds, just plain old thunderstorms ... I'll just call it a case of the summertime blues. But, this last sunday afternoon was absolutely drop dead gorgeous, probably about low 80's, sunny, nice little breeze, etc. I was out in the back patio/ yard with my neighbour, Bill ... Bill is a transplant here from South Bronx/ NYC ... we were out just chillin and having small chat, Bill's wife was out with friends, and my wife was at my daughter's apartment. All of the sudden ... the sky went dark, winds started to pick up, really heavy too ... the large tree on my patio area, which is about 2.5 to 3 stories tall, the large limbs started swaying side to side about 5 or 6'ft sway back and forth ... me and Bill just pause and look at each other with that "what the fuck?" look. I asked Bill if he heard any weather forecast?, he looks on his phone and sayz "there's a thunderstorm warning" ... I'm like, "Huuhh!?" ... I mean, it was gorgeous a few minutes prior, even the pool was full of little kids, etc, I mean, I haven't listened to the tele or was on the computer, so didn't hear anything. Next minute, here comes rain blowing sidewayz, and winds that had to be at least 60mph, and the temperature must have dropped at least 20 degrees in only 5 minutes or so ... time to take cover! We heard a deep loud sort of humming sound, then a very loud boom, like an explosion ... we just look at each other, wondering where it came from, we weren't sure, then all the power goes out, so we figured it must have been a transformer close by. My daughter, where my wife was at, said their power went out, she lives about 5 miles south of me in the Bluffview neighbourhood of North Dallas ... but everything with them was fine otherwise. Many businesses were down, and better have cash, because so were ATM's and card payment machines in businesses. I didn't realize yet how bad this storm was, till I got out around town ... I live on the very far edge of Northwest Dallas, across the street from me is North Dallas, and north a few blocks are the cities of Farmers Branch and Addison, probably about 12 miles from downtown.
After the storm passed through, which was only about a half hour, I decided to go over to the Lake Highlands area, just a tad east of White Rock Lake in East Dallas, because I was planning to go visit a friend over there before the storm came, anywayz. I couldn't get on LBJ Freeway by my house, because I heard on a portable radio I had, that the whole area of LBJ Frwy, North Central Expwy, and the Dallas North Tollway interchanges were at a complete halt, and that glass was blowing out of one of the bank building towers there too. So I went down Marsh Ln from my place and eastbound on Royal Ln, which is about 11 miles down Royal Ln, to get to Lake Highlands Dr area I needed. But all along Royal the full drive, which is some very nice affluent areas too, it was debris and massive tree destruction all over. Right before I got to North Central Expwy on Royal Ln, a large tree was even uprooted and went into an apartment building. Many people were out trying to tie ropes to trees to move them with several people pulling, working class folks working alongside more upper class folks. But so much debris for that 11 mile stretch, most traffic lights did not work, I heard that 400 to 500 traffic lights were out in Dallas, on the radio, and that over 350,000 people without power. Just east of North Central Expwy on Royal Ln, past Greenville Av ... the large golf course was partially flooded in the low areas, and the forest of large trees all around, half of the trees were split and large limbs scattered the landscape, pieces of roofs, signs, billboards, etc. I heard, that even one of the new towers under construction in downtown (approximately 45 stories) had the glass panels of the building even blowing off of it, and a crane fell into one complex off downtown in Old East Dallas, and power lines down all over the place. Many homes had trees that fell on them, Dallas is saturated with large trees and forest areas ... so yeah, there was quite a bit of damage, just from this one short storm. Power outages varied across the city ... in Lake Highlands at my friend's place, it was out an hour, other places in the same part of town were out dayz. My daughters place in Bluffview for maybe a half day ... she got lucky because her building is new, she was like first to move in, and the buildings surrounding her are all still under construction, lots of construction equipment and scaffolds, like the Old East Dallas area below where the crane fell. My place in Northwest Dallas, was without power for 4 dayz, and we are just getting power to all of Dallas as of today, friday. Much credit to those crews locally and from out of state, that worked around the clock 24/ 7, to restore power to Dallas ... looking at the mess, I knew it would take some time. Some video and read below ... Word Out ....
1 Dead, 5 Injured After Crane Collapses In Downtown Dallas ... Thanx to CBSDFW
RAW VIDEO: North Texas Storms- June 9, 2019 ... Thanx to WFAA
***** NBC 5 DALLAS- FORT WORTH: Your Storm Photos- June 9, 2019 ... 225 photos from folks across the DFW Metroplex
***** CNN: At least 1 person is dead and 6 others injured after crane falls on Dallas apartment building ... (newsread/ video)
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts- Summertime Blues ... Thanx to achatscheibe **** a little closing music video I wanted to add, of my favourite cover ever of the classic, "Summertime Blues", originally co- wrote and recorded by Eddie Cochran in 1958. I have alwayz loved Joan Jett's version, and seen her doing it live in concert a few times in small and large venues. This will also be included in the "RCJ MUSIC/ ARTS HONOUR ROLL SOCIETY" of this journal/ blog.
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***** PD/ RCJ: "TASTE OF TEXAS" ... PART'S 33 THRU 1
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Near Preston Rd in Highland Park (Highland Park is an independent city within central Dallas)
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***** RANCH CHIMP JOURNAL "WELCOME" POST
***** "THE RESISTANCE | PERILS OF THE POWER POSSE" ... ( a 2 part futuristic Ranch Chimp Journal dream to dream on )
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I wonder how many people "heard a deep loud sort of humming sound, then a very loud boom, like an explosion", then looked out their windows and saw something like that picture at the top, and thought World War III had started.....
ReplyDeleteSeriously, Portland is known for its rain, but I odn't think I've ever seen rain that severe here.
Hey Infidel ... I was only in PDX/ Portland a week, of that time, which was also spring, but it had only rained like a couple times, and it was just very mild, or normal, I guess ... certainly didn't bother me. I think, I could be wrong though, that we get more rain here than y'all in the Pacific Northwest, as odd as that may sound. We actually get substantial rainfall, and many times here, this rain will come with a type of vengeance, I think this is because of our location/ geographically, concerning the wide range of weather here, as far as fast changing. But, it comes very hard and fast at times, strong winds, etc, so fast and heavy, that it is difficult for the sewer/ drains to take it all in at once, which can cause flash flooding.
ReplyDeleteNo, I never even thought of that, as far as the humming and loud boom, I'm certain many of these new folks that moved to Dallas from other places, probably freak out, over how fast the weather changes here. Geeezzz, guy ... you ain't going to believe this ... we are getting a warning as I write this, for severe storms and 65 mph winds and hail. Jezuzzz ... I just got 2 text messages now about a tornado waring in Dallas ... in my goddamn area too ... Northwest Dallas County. Thanx for your input guy ... I don't know how long my damn computer will be on or whatever.
Here comes the damn sirens and darkness too, gonna shut down!
ReplyDeleteI'm wrong on the rainfall, it appears according to this link below (and others I checked), that PDX gets more rain than Dallas ... but rains more frequent. Even though I know over the last several years, we had record breaking rainfalls of like 50+ inches.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bestplaces.net/compare-cities/dallas_tx/portland_or/climate
You can see the difference in the precipitation days, though. Both cities actually get similar amounts of rain, but Portland's is spread over twice as many days. You get fewer rainy days, but with more rain packed into them. And apparently nuclear thunderstorms now and then.
ReplyDelete