Storm Hit Us

[Oldtimer]

I gotta laugh or I would cry....The first storm of many predicted tonite hit us head on...

First a couple pictures of it coming in-- I was watching because several folks spotted a tornado 15 miles west of me....

Here is just before it hit....

Here is the aftermath

70-80 mph winds-- hail from quarter size to 2" diameter-- rain gauge shows 1.25 and I don't think half of it went in....Broke the rain gutters and some screens-- blew the kids trampoline onto the kennel, taking out some fence in the way-- blew down a few trees-- got so noisy we hit the basement...
I don't even want to see what that 3-4 foot high grass hay looks like-- alfalfa is probably all stalks..... :roll: :shock:

But it could have been worse- neighbor a mile away lost every west window in his house-- said he had a foot deep of hail on the living room floor...He's not even going to do anything tonite- called the insurance man and is going to a Motel--as the weather guy told me there are more storms coming.....

Toward the end of the storm-- trampoline collided with dog kennel...

Got up courage to look at the hayfields--These were hayfields-- alfalfa was a good 3 foot tall and grass as much as 4 foot in areas-- Nothing much left This storm followed the Milk River from Havre east-- right down the good hay country--200 miles...My daughter came out from town and said 1000's of acres look just like this...

Slicked off the weeds in the drain ditch better than you could with a weed whacker!

Grandkids came out- and put together their trampoline...

The flag is still flying-- a little worse for wear- but I put up a new one every 4th of July anyway....

Grandma grabbed the puppies out of the kennel before the storm hit-- and they rode it out in the house with us..

And another storm is looking to hit in about 1/2 an hour :roll: Ol Ma Nature is being fickle......

 

[Beefy]

Ma Nature is a few choice words, is what Ma Nature is.

 

[Jogeephus]

Looks bad. I'm glad no one was hurt.

 

[mnmtranching]

Man that's some storm. Glad that twister didn't hit and all you folks are safe.

I remember a storm we had a few years back, flatened a heavy hay crop. We ended up cutting it in one direction with a haybine.

 

[dun]

I remember a storm we had a few years back, flatened a heavy hay crop. We ended up cutting it in one direction with a haybine.

That's one option that a lot of people don;t think of. Mowing against the grain, i.e. the direction it's laying will surprise at howwell it cuts.

dun

 

[Oldtimer]

I remember a storm we had a few years back, flatened a heavy hay crop. We ended up cutting it in one direction with a haybine.

That's one option that a lot of people don;t think of. Mowing against the grain, i.e. the direction it's laying will surprise at howwell it cuts.

dun

Thanks guys that may be an option we'll be looking at--just needs to dry out for awhile now and see what we have :roll: Sad when you know what would have been a 400-500 ton cutting may only be 40 bales.....


Update-- Lost power during the second storm-- more wind, rain, and horrible thunder and lightning...I guess several are still out of power...

Still showers rolling thru-- over 3" of rain....Creeks flooding everywhere...

Almost everyone you talk to has broken windows or no windows on at least the west side of their houses-- a few lost roofs- most houses have the siding on at least the west side of house damaged...Stripped bark off the west side of all the trees...I heard my cousin lost the eye in one of his saddle horses- but haven't been able to get ahold of him yet to find which one (probably the expensive heading horse he just bought)...
Weather spotter a couple miles from me with an official wind speed indicator reported the wind was 85 mph.....

Son was in Forsyth and called me-- didn't believe me when I said all the hay was gone-- told him to just look at the pictures I posted on here-- when he saw the hayfield ones all he could say was " Really- Oh really"......
Then he called this morning and said a hailstorm hit Forsyth late last night while he was there-- took out windows in the motel...

 

[Victoria]

I was wondering how you faired Oldtimer. I heard about the hail and funnel clouds in south Alberta and figured you were getting hit. I'm so sorry about the damage, especially the hayfield.
We are still under heavy rainfall warning. Last night they were calling for up to 4 inches of rain. Thank God we didn't get it (yet?). We only got about 1/2 inch. They are now saying 2 inches, which may be enough to flood but so far this morning it is just ugly and windy with no rain. Hope it stays this way.
At least your family is safe, that's the important thing.

 

[Fly-guy]

Oldtimer - not to steal any of your thunder but I thought some might be interested in some pictures of the Greensburg Kansas tornado last month. The first pictures were taken by a friend of mine who was there after the storm and the last two are satellite pictures, one before the storm and the other after the storm.

 

[Oldtimer]

Yeh-- I saw those satellite pictures before-- what a mess...That is one good thing here--even with the wind and damage we had, I've heard of no deaths or serious injuries...

Luckily we get a lot less tornadoes than Kansas- actually only get these bad wind/hail storms about every 25-30 years or so...The last I can remember (which wasn't even this bad) was July 4th 1976- before that it was back in the mid 50's...The real odd thing with this one is we seldom get them in June- usually later in July and August....

 

[john250]

When it comes to weather, if it ain't one thing it's two.
A lack of rain has me delusional. All that water looks good--even though I know first hand how destructive it is.
Current forecast is a 60% chance Tuesday. That won't get us much. We're in a dry cycle. YOU would get an inch if the weather liars said 20% chance.

 

[Ryder]

Glad you didn't get blown away oldtimer. I figure you are a pretty straight shooting type of fellow and we need folks like you to stay around.
(I reserve the right to change my opinion at any time) ;-)

 

[Oldtimer]

Glad you didn't get blown away oldtimer. I figure you are a pretty straight shooting type of fellow and we need folks like you to stay around.
(I reserve the right to change my opinion at any time) ;-)

Thanks Ryder (I think ;-) :lol: )

My wife must have had some type of womens premonition of our hail storm- and the fact I definitely won't be haying for awhile...

For fathers day last night, her and the Grandkids gave me a new cooler- and in it were a 1/2 gallon of whiskey, 6 pack of mix, bag of cheetos, and one of those Popeil Pocket Fisherman they used to advertise on TV :shock:

I've been looking for one of those pocket fishermen for years-- thought it would be perfect to stick behind the pickup seat and some of those days when I got done working cows/farming early if I was near a fishing hole or creek I could just pull out the fisherman and the jug and kill the rest of the day.....
Every place I checked said they didn't make them anymore- but she said she found it in Williston a couple months back

 

[Oldtimer]

Spent the week working with insurance companies :???:

Started Monday afternoon when I called the claims Dept- and got a lady that could only speak broken English But then got a little better....I have both my house and vehicles insured under Farmers Insurance Group...By Tuesday, they had a disaster team set up in town with motor homes, adjusters and claims agents, and inspection spots...

Yesterday afternoon (Wed.) an adjuster came out and inspected my house for damage-- easily agreed to replace the roof, gutters, vents, screens, and repaint the house and deck-- said he would cut me a check as soon as he gets the estimates (based on local costs and rates) together- no later than tommorrow....

Today I took the vehicles in and had them adjusted-- sweet young gal from Florida cut me checks on the spot to have them fixed--and even left the claim open in case the shop finds additional costs
I have an appointment to get my windshield replaced tomorrow AM....

Actually was pleasantly surprised by their speed and co-operation-- but on the other hand I've heard that some folks that have insurance thru a couple of the other major nationwide companies can't even get a claim filed yet......

 

[starbaby]

oldtimer, sorry for your misfortune, glad none were hurt. that 1st pic is beatiful tho

 

[Oldtimer]

oldtimer, sorry for your misfortune, glad none were hurt. that 1st pic is beatiful tho

Thank you starbaby-- Just got thru spending 3 days "pick and choose" swathing on areas of 300+ acres of hayland-- hoping to find something left...Didn't even get 40 bales off what we expected to get 600-700+ :roll:

Good news is the alfalfa is coming back, so their will be a cutting in a few weeks-- bad news is that I don't have that much alfalfa hayland, as most is grass, which I don't think will come back to make a cutting- but will provide some good fall/winter pasture- if the snow don't fly too early.....