Yeah Rain! Wait... Is That a Funnel Cloud?

Finally we got some much needed rain and I knew I would have to be out shooting it. I;m teamed up with Boston Stevie (He wanted it changed from just Boston) and we head out. We get some nasty looking clouds a little rain and head down to Ashboro. Never heard of Ashboro, neither did I till around 4PM. It's 70 miles from Raleigh and I felt like I was back at The Network chasing storms. We get half way there, Siler City, when I see some of the darkest and lowest clouds I had ever seen. We get more video and continue on our way. We listen to the Local number 1 station's radio broadcast and get some important info and Boston Stevie's weather radio keeps mentioning Asboro, we even stop for some food and people keep telling us that a tornado was seen in Ashboro. Well, there was dark clouds and no actual tornado, but we get a weather warning from the Nation Weather Service and a Tornado touched down in Fuquay Varina... and hour and a half back towards Raleigh.

I'd love to just rip the station, but my cover has partially been blown so I won't get into that right now, I will just say it was a long and difficult night that could have been easier, but people thought it would be more fun having us in the dark. I will say this the best line of the night was this "Well Ashboro and Fuqauy are only and inch apart on the map." You can't make that up.

We get to Fuquay just after 8pm and we get lucky, we find four people to talk and have one guy drive us to a tree down over some power lines. Before we left we found a woman who gave us a great interview and mentioned she has never seen wind like the ones we had tonight.

I know we have not had rain in 18 days and the whole area has not had a good rain in over a month, but do we really need tornado's? Just let us have some rain so we get out of this drought.

March Madness: Rain Rain Go Away

Last night the game didn't end until almost midnight so luckily I did not have to turn anything for a show that has already ended. I did have to send some sound for the morning show. By the time I finished it was 1 o'clock and I walk outside and it is pouring and it's no longer warm. A cold front has swept though and its bitter cold. I did not bring long sleeves so I'm a little cold. The worst part of the rainy night was the walk to my car with my very expensive equipment. I start back the way I have walked every time. i notice after walking for 5 minutes that the gate that is usually open is now closed. I have to go back the way I came and go around the fenced in area to get to the car. I am now soaked. I finally get back to the hotel around 1:30 and head to the bar. I order a double jack and coke and they guy forgot the coke. I drink my drink pay and find out that my one drink was 15 dollars. HOLY CRAP! I could have bought a bottle for 20! Note to self, the hotel is not that good, and over charges everything.

When I am done with today's fun I'll write about my birthday and what fun things that have happened.

Wet Death

I've been in TV news for almost 7 years so when I hear people in a station freak out because there is rain coming I generally ignore them and go about my day. Why do I do this? Most times when there is heavy rain TV people will freak out. When there is light rain people will freak out. Most time it is nothing serious.

When I left at my normal time our sister station was freaking out and running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. I tell the desk I am leaving and head to my car. I start to drive on Oh-315 when it becomes harder to see because of the rain. Then I hear,

Thump

Thump

Thump thump thump

Thwap thwap thwap thwap thwap thwap thwap

It was massive amounts of hail. No just a little hail, it was hail with rain. I'm luckily near an exit and I pull off looking for an overpass. It was hitting my driver side door window so hard I thought the window was going to break. The ground was white with hail and all I can think is "NO NOT MY CAR! MAKE IT STOP I DON'T WANT HAIL DAMAGE!" The hailing slows down and I nextel the station

"Holy crap is it hailing on 315."


*beep beep*
"Call in on the phoner line they want you to go on live with Main Weather Guy."

WHAT? I'm going live on the air? Yes I was and I was nervous because I don't like being on air and I'm afraid my car is going to have dents. I tell about the hail and rain and that was it. I pull around Target to get to the highway again when I see all the hail on the ground and I take a picture for the station.

Even though TV people freak out at every little rain some times the freak out is real. Oh I think my car is OK.