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Desert_Captain's avatar
Desert_Captain
Explorer III
Jun 27, 2014

Dodged a huge T-Storm... and we're not in Kansas anymore

Got up at 7 at the Spring Lake RV Park just northwest of Wichita Kansas and checked the radar. MASSIVE thunderstorm about 70 miles to the northwest but heading our way. Looked like we could beat it to Pratt Kansas 45 miles out so we turned the key and rolled northwest.

Tracked the storm as we both closed in on Pratt and one mile out the first drops hit the windshield. I stopped for fuel and the skies opened up, torrential rain and a constant barrage of lightning. We hunkered down in a local diner for breakfast and to wait for it to pass. The power went out just as my eggs came out but by the time we finished eating the worst of the storm had passed... or so I thought.

What followed was a very windy ride down through Liberal Kansas, across the corner of the Oklahoma panhandle and on down to Dalhart in the Texas panhandle. Naturally the wind was out of the southwest because that was where we were headed. It blew 25-30+all the way down US 54 to Dalhart knocki.g our mileage back 30%.

Not exactly a white knuckle ride but the on coming trucks in combinaion with the high winds certainly made it interesting. We'll get an early start in the morning bound through Tucumcari, Vaughn, Mountainaire and hopefully into the Kiva RV Park and Horse Motel (if you are passing through on I-25 it is a must see, as in a truely unique stop), on I-25 at Bernardo.

:B
  • We have had an interesting week up here. We have had 2 tornadoes during small storms. We haven't had really bad storms compared to the tornados in the States but any storm that inflicts damage is bad enough for those involved in them.
  • bigorange wrote:
    Glad you made it through safely...let me know when you're back in town and we can get together for a cold beverage and swap stories on our summer trips. :B


    Will do, we plan on returning home on or about the first of July. Still want to get a few days in up in the White Mountains, probably in Greer or Hawley Lake. Can't believe we've been on the road since May first, waaay too much fun every day.
    :B
  • Glad to hear there was no rotation in the areas you where traveling in!

    Rain might be bad, but rotation can change your day! So can lightning, so best to get out of the way of that weather.

    Fred.
  • Driving across Iowa today and we had huge storms. Saw four streaks of lightning at one time. Huge rain and hail but no rotation.
  • Great story. I was out in the farm fields today picking rocks with a couple of kids. The skies turned dark. They are getting paid by the hour and wanted to work longer and I had to make sure that I said the answer was "NO"! By the time we got loaded up and back to the shop there was lightning like crazy and it was raining buckets.
  • Glad you made it through safely...let me know when you're back in town and we can get together for a cold beverage and swap stories on our summer trips. :B
  • I know how that goes, I got chased across Nebraska twice by horrendous T-storms.
    The second time it caught up with us and damaged the ceiling of our old TT.
    Still, I guess it beets a day at the office. :)

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