from being scared. It was about noonish when my phone received a text about Severe Thunderstorms in my county. I ran outside to investigate and to my surprise,the skies were clear and sunny. It made no sense – how could there be a thunderstorm without any clouds? It was like how could you eat cereal without any milk? It just didn’t add up.
While trying to puzzle this mystery, I began to hear something. It sounded like a growl off in the distance, almost as if a bomb had just gone off. The ground shook slightly. I knew what it was, it was my fear, my passion, my love, thunder. The thunder cried in the distance, begging for me. My parents pull up in the driveway and see me jumping around outside as if I just won the lottery. “Did you see the clouds?” I said frantically. “Yes, they’re very dark and we saw a funnel cloud. You need to head inside,” my mother said. At that very moment, I felt like I was the first man to reach the moon. I was so excited. “What if I get a glimpse of a Tornado?” I said to myself. Then the TV began to play the most eerie warning ever. My county was under a Tornado Warning.
I looked outside and I could tell the storm was close. All the birds stopped chirping as if they were silenced by an unnatural force. The leaves were still, in a state of shock knowing a dangerous storm was close. The clouds have arrived, bringing with them thunder and lightning. I began to feel more scared than excited. A cold chill crawled down my spine, I began to realize there might actually be a tornado. My emotions flipped. In an instant, I saw the dark clouds cover the sun, darkening the sky and surroundings causing daytime to become nighttime. I look towards to north where I saw a dark, lowering cloud. I instantly thought it was a tornado. I ran inside as fast as I could. I began having a nervous breakdown with sweat rushing all over my body.
“It’s here we need to go into the basement now!” I yelled. My parents told me that a tornado in Maine wasn’t strong enough to rip our house apart. I looked outside again. I came to the realization that was I saw was only just a cloud. I went upstairs to find my sister crying. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “We’re going to die” she replied. I told her there was nothing to be afraid of. The thunder continued to crackle through the sky as I watched the storm role by. No tornado was seen but there were reports of one in our neighboring town.
The storm goes into its next phase – the downpour. Sheets of rain fell to the ground. It battered the ground endlessly flooding the grass, causing the earthworms to leave the ground as the rain was drowning them. Twenty minutes pass and the storm rolls by. Behind, it left a gift, a rainbow that would never be forgotten. It took up the entire sky. I always wondered where it ended. As the storm moves by, the birds begin to leave their shelter, chirping once again as if nothing happened.
Every summer, I reflect back on the previous summer. What weather events were most exciting? Were there any that were exciting? Some summers are boring, always sunny and no storms. Others are battered with severe weather. However, none are more memorable than the July 9th, 2011 weather event. It dropped three tornadoes that day, all weak and short-lived. I ended up naming this storm as a constant reminder of how scary mother nature can be. I called it The Storm of Fear. Not one summer goes by without having a flashback of this storm. It was a joyride, an adrenaline rush, a nightmare, and a story. Some summers I wish I could relive the event, hoping to get a glimpse of the monster that lurks within the storm, the tornado.
I dedicated this writing to my high school mentor and friend. Jeff DeRosa who has helped me continue my love and passion for weather and helped me get to where I am today. I cannot thank him enough for the work and help he has given me.
All credit and sounds go to Sasa Bradjic.