Friday, 19 April 2019
Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
Grim, grey day as I open the curtains. It was to be expected as weather forecast on my phone app showed it being rainy and cloudy.
Another 500 mile drive today up to Williamsburg, Virginia.
Thought it would be dull and uneventful.
Weather forecast on the radio said it was going to be stormy and wet.
Receive an email from hotel at my destination in Williamsburg telling me that the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning from 1300hrs today.
Great.
Driving north up Interstate 95 minding my own business and weather forecasts on the radio have been upgraded to severe weather warnings. Patchy rain enroute but mainly dry, thankfully. Don’t fancy driving 500 miles in atrocious weather like I had from Dallas to San Antonio.
Listen to a song on the radio. It’s nearing the end. Suddenly stops playing and what I think is a new song starts playing. Sounds like the old dial up tone for the internet. Assume it must be some 90s song. Then there’s a ‘blaargh…blaargh…blaargh’ type sound followed by ‘This is a severe weather warning for XYZ counties. Expect high winds, heavy winds and debris.’ Followed by another alarm sound ‘blaargh…blaargh…blaargh’.
Crikey. Thought I.
What I assume to be an emergency service has cut into the live FM radio transmission.
Continue on my way.
Matrix signs on the interstate all say, ‘Severe weather warning. Expect high winds, heavy rain and debris.’
Quite what I’m going to do if there’s another massive storm enroute, I don’t know.
Continue keeping an eye on the clouds. Brighter in the north but darker to the west, south and east. At least I appear to be heading in the right direction.
Hour later. Same thing happens on the radio. An emergency ‘blaargh…blaargh…blaargh’ insert on the FM broadcast. Repeating the same message about a severe weather warning.
Now mid afternoon.
There’s lots of accidents on the interstate today. Must have passed about a dozen. Not actually seen many accidents in 3,000 miles of driving in the USA the past few weeks but today is a crash every 50 or so miles. And it’s not even raining that hard, if at all. One such crash has caused a 30 minute delay according to sat-nav which diverts me off the interstate across country roads to rejoin the interstate about 10 miles ahead. To avoid delays.
Driving in open countryside when there’s another emergency ‘blaargh…blaargh…blaargh’ insert on the FM broadcast.
Except.
This one says, ‘Tornado warning for XYZ counties until 2.51pm.’
Oh crap.
Now.
Although I know exactly where I am because of the sat-nav, haven’t a clue which county I’m in. Or near.
FM broadcast resumes and the DJ comes on and says that because of the tornado warning they’re now going live to the weather service TV broadcast as the tornado warning is in their radio broadcast area.
As I have a strong radio signal assume therefore that I’m in the tornado area.
Oh crap.
Some meteorologist is obviously explaining to TV viewers, who can see his screen showing radar, that a rotation (start of a possible tornado from the clouds above) has been spotted on the radar and it’s tracking at 60mph in a north east direction.
The direction I’m headed.
The cloud above is noticeably darker.
Actually a bit worrying. As I’m listening to the tornado warning, I’ve now rejoined the interstate and putting my foot down as I can see brighter cloud ahead in the distance.
But.
Have dark clouds to my west. The tornado is tracking from there. Am I going to be driving into its path?
Weatherman is now saying that it’s likely a tornado will form and is tracking through XYZ counties and that if you live in XYZ towns then you have 11 minutes to evacuate to a safe space and take shelter as the tornado is tracking your way. And further explains that if you live in a trailer, try and find a brick shelter. Can you imagine if you lived there and heard that warning?
This is rather worrying.
Have no idea where I am relative to the track of the tornado and which county I’m currently in. Clouds are getting darker to my west and am now razzing up the interstate at a great rate of knots.
Only one thing for it. Ring mission control back home. Little sis assists in finding out where I am and where the tornados are. Apparently I’m north of the track and should be OK. The tornado warnings, and there’s now three warnings, are behind me.
Phew.
Continue on my way.
About 20 miles from Williamsburg, after a long drive, driving along pleasant country roads there’s another emergency alarm on the FM broadcast, ‘Tornado warning for XYZ towns in Virginia.’
Now.
I recognise those names because that’s the general direction I’m headed.
Oh crap.
Again.
Fortunately, as I know where I am relative to those towns I can determine from the map that I’m not on the track of the tornado.
Phew!
Finally arrive Williamsburg without having been blown away and check in to the Williamsburg Inn (https://www.colonialwilliamsburghotels.com/accommodations/williamsburg-inn/). Exactly the sort of place you need to arrive at after a long drive like that.
And relax.
With a welcome glass of champagne.
Ah yes.
This’ll do nicely.