So we just had some crazy weather [View all]

We were predicted to have thunderstorms this afternoon, which is about normal for this time of year in this part of the country.I didn't think anything of that as I trotted off to work the co-op gallery (Oasis in Harrisonburg) that I'm part of. However, starting around 4 pm I began receiving texts from spousal unit who was working at home, 15 miles north, that it was getting very dark and thundering a lot up there. Nothing but some dark clouds off to the north where I was, and some windiness. We did have a little rain later (of course we did, I watered the outdoor flower boxes!) but nothing of note. However, at closing time it darkened up considerably and began to blow so I hurried up closing and dove out the back door and across the street to my car. It still didn't start raining until I got to the north end of Harrisonburg, when I drove through a brief torrential downpour. Then it more or less quit until I got further towards Broadway. As I got nearer there, I got a call from the spousal unit that the power was out at home. Well okay then. I drove on, noting that Broadway still had power, but as I got to the stoplight to turn out of Broadway, I encountered the Timberville fire engine and rescue squad heading toward the interstate. Gave then the right of way and continued towards home. Turned into the hamlet of Mayland and saw a lot of branches and leaves down. Some folks were loading branches into the bed of a truck; it looked like one of their trees had been split badly. As I continued up the road I saw something strange wrapped around a power pole and looked across the road to see that the house there had half its roof ripped clean off! I think a derecho storm may have ripped through there....that was the metal roof wrapped around the pole. Continued on home over a lot of leaves and small branches in the road to find our house dark as the inside of the devil's hind pocket. Just got power back 20 minutes ago.