Canadians and Thunderstorms

[Mephys 2]

Since I moved to the Chicago area, I have witnessed a much more significant amount of thunderstorms than when I was in Montreal.

There it was more like 3-4 times every summer. Here it's more like 1-2 times every week, and it's not rare to be waken up by thunder. I don't know about the other provinces, but Quebec is definitely not a place with a lot of them.

Last night was the biggest thunderstorm I have seen, and it happened when I was driving home back from work. I left work around 7:15pm and it was raining with clear sky. After 30 min if turned out pitch black (supposed to be sunny around that time yet) and there was an insane amount of lightning, like every 2-3 seconds. Driving with the heavy rain and wind, I couldnt see really far in front of my car. It freaked me out to the point when I had to calm down to make it home and I almost cried (YEAH I ASSUME IT!!! ). I had Josh coming downstairs to get me and he was like " What, it's just a thunderstorm!!" I took videos of it and even my mom couldn't believe how crazy it was!!!!

Here my video. It's dark but you will see how bad the lightning were.

And this one is actually from someone else, I found it on YouTube.

Slideshow from CBS

http://cbs2chicago.com/slideshows/tornadic...8082.html?rid=0

ETA : What happened to be "just a thunderstorm" like my husband said was actually a severe thunderstorm that left a lot of damage behind, with tornados and $hit....

Edited August 5, 2008 by Mephys

[BH45 0]

I can tell you Mephys....Northern Ontario doesn't get these types of t-storms either. However, we did have a twister go through about 8 - 10 miles north of Cochrane one year.

I was blown away by the constant lightening happening. We didn't see too many strikes just lots of heat lightening.

I remember being in Edmonton, well Sherwood Park to be exact, when lightening hit a micro-wave tower. Shook the ground for miles around it. Not fun !!

I'm glad you made it home safely. Sounds like you have a hubby like mine "It's just a thunderstorm".....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

[MissStacey 1]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE thunderstorms.

We did often have some great T Storms in Alberta. I always slept so well through them and was always disappointed that I missed them.

We get some good storms here In New Orleans too. And get a lot really hard rain.

I can tell you Mephys....Northern Ontario doesn't get these types of t-storms either. However, we did have a twister go through about 8 - 10 miles north of Cochrane one year.

I was blown away by the constant lightening happening. We didn't see too many strikes just lots of heat lightening.

I remember being in Edmonton, well Sherwood Park to be exact, when lightening hit a micro-wave tower. Shook the ground for miles around it. Not fun !!

I'm glad you made it home safely. Sounds like you have a hubby like mine "It's just a thunderstorm".....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

I am a Sherwood Park girl!

[Marilyn. 340]

I grew up i Manitoba and I witnessed a lot of thunderstorms during the summer...

here in La we maybe have a thunderstorm 2 or 3 times a year and they only last like 5 minutes..

[Flames9_RN 358]

We get some good T-storms here in DC. Growing up in SK we got some spiffy ones as well. Love a good t-Storm//Blizzard!! Especially with a full fridge of beer

Edited August 5, 2008 by flames9

[Emancipation 2]

I hear you Mephys for SURE!! I find the storms here a lot more violent. But I do miss the wind.. Used to get GReAT wind storms back home, no such luck here:) I get scared that a twister would develop when i see storms like that one.. gah..

[Kathryn41 3,205]

We were watching the weather yesterday while waiting at the airport (yes, waiting - that is another story) and they mentioned that Chicago was having extremely severe thunder storms with prolific lightning. I feel for you having to be out in that.

Southwestern Ontario got a fair share of thunderstorms but nothing like we have here in Georgia. The storms are a lot more violent and lightning is a serious risk here - it seems that after every storm there are reports of injuries and house-fires started by lightning - 14 in one storm last week. I don't know if it is because we are more populated here and thus there are more targets to hit or that the storms are just that much more intense. They come on you differently as well. Southern Ontario is flat and you can hear the storms rolling in from quite some distance. Here you hear the muffled thunder from around the various hills and rolling landscape then 'wham' it is right over top of you, almost as if without warning.

Anyway, I never used to be seriously bothered by thunderstorms back in Canada but here, yes, I find them threatening and I would like them to just go away.

Edited August 5, 2008 by Kathryn41

[Marilyn. 340]

I used to love the thunderstorms we had in Manitoba... as long as they weren't too close...

[shawna7 4]

In Toronto we would occasionally get a really good thunderstorm,But here in Charleston they are CRAZY!!..lol I like them though(except when driving..I agree with you..VERY scary) Hubby thinks I'm nuts when I get all excited about a storm coming..I just want to watch off our porch..the lightening over the water can be spectacular!

S

[warlord 73]

I lived in Southern Ontario so we would get wicked storms all spring and summer. Windsor being the lightning capital of Canada where I also lived for a number of years. Out here in the west, we get more intense storms a bit east of here in the core of tornado alley, but not as much in the front range (of the Rockies) though as I would see in Ontario. Now going easy to the high plains just out side of town and over into Kansas, those are the best areas.

I storm chase for fun, so been doing living in Ontario as well, though this year has just sucked so badely for Colorado that I haven't been out once. Guess the east is getting the good storms this summer instead of us.

So putting it together exactly where I live now in Denver isn't as intense as Windsor was for storms. However going east of here a few hours, I'd hit the zone where they would be more intense and common.

Plus storm hunting out here is so much nicer due to the lack of trees and hills. Plains for hundreds and hundreds of miles sure make storm chasing easier...

[Mephys 2]

I forgot to mention, I usually don't mind the thunderstorms and I love watching the lightning......from inside the house Not on the road!

[Ontarkie 14,226]

ME too love to watch from inside the house, this heat lightning here is cool. We didnt really get any of the bigs storms in the SOO but I sleep better when its stormy out and so do my kids. Really not sure why but we do.

[Necrotica 0]

We get those here, too! In fact, Réjean and I recorded a thunderstorm that took place here a little over a month ago. He was amazed by it and also told me about how he's never seen anything like that in Québec before.

(NOTE: I accidentally dropped the F-bomb once in this video, for those who might take offense)

[Necrotica 0]

Ok, so my video doesn't want to be embedded for some reason.

Here's the actual link:

[Marilyn. 340]

We get those here, too! In fact, Réjean and I recorded a thunderstorm that took place here a little over a month ago. He was amazed by it and also told me about how he's never seen anything like that in Québec before.

(NOTE: I accidentally dropped the F-bomb once in this video, for those who might take offense)

the [ youtube ] [ /youtube ] things have to be directly around the letters [ youtube ]SEGv5FiJVnI[/ youtube ] (of course it all has to be squished together but I just did like that so I could show you...