Now that Mark Pilgrim isn’t blogging anymore, I wonder if I could steal his number one Google rank for a search on Mark.

Come on, Mark. Help a brother out!

My home weather station recorded this morning’s amazing weather. Check out the graphs. They include a 10+ degree drop in temperatures, 3/4 of an inch of rain, a nice dip in the barometer when the tornado passed close by, and a new record windspeed of 20 MPH. You can see the wind change direction abruptly, too. Most of these stats take place at 6 AM, right when the front passed through.

The warm weather goes out with a bang!

Travis was squawking at 5:30 and we were waiting for him to settle down. As we dozed, the wind and rain began to pick up considerably.

Something outside didn’t sound right to me. The wind was blowing with a sound like the reverberation of kettle drums. I dashed to the window, and then to my computer to check the weather.

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
533 AM EST FRI JAN 14 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR…
NORTHERN WAKE COUNTY IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 550 AM EST

* AT 533 AM EST…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO OVER NORTH RALEIGH…OR ABOUT 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF DOWNTOW5 RALEIGH…MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
FALLS LAKE…
NORTH RALEIGH…
WAKE FOREST…

Yikes!!

Instantly, I roused Kelly and the kids and we rushed to the downstairs playroom. Turning on the TV downstairs, we learned that the tornado had since passed.

It was quite scary, and not like me at all to not be prepared. Time to get an EAS-capable weather radio and for to work out better emergency plans. Up until now, my focus with Skywarn and severe weather has been helping the other guy, but tornadoes can visit us, too. As this morning proved.

And I know everyone says a tornado sounds like a freight train. After living near tracks for half-a-year, buddy I know what a freight train sounds like.

That was no train. It was wind, and it was pissed.