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So, on the way up to Target (to buy hubby some more race car track... damn you, James May and your Toy Stories!) hubby asks idly if it's supposed to rain tonight. It's starting to look a little cloudy up north. I said I'd seen a chance of rain on Sunday, but hadn't heard anything about tonight. And as it was bright and sunny (and hot) we didn't think much about a few clouds, other than that they might bring a little relief from the sun. So we stop to get a bite to eat, and by the time we come back out it's definitely starting to look like it might rain.
We stop in at Office Depot, and when we come out there's a serious line of black clouds and a lot of cloud to ground lightning. But it's a very thin line of black clouds, and you can see pretty, harmless fluffy clouds on the other side. I almost mention that maybe we should just head straight home, but it really looks like it will pass quickly. So we go in to Target.
We pick a cart with a shopping list laying at the bottom, and I pick it up. And immediately decide to bring it home, because, well... ( see for yourself )
I'm not sure if I want to imagine the circumstances surrounding that list...
Anyway, we're back towards the back of the store and we can hear it's thundering quite a bit. We look towards to front doors and the rain is just pouring down. Monsoon kind of pouring. I've been through a hurricane that wasn't as wet as this! So we decide to take our time, confident that it will pass fairly quickly.
Then the power goes out. Now, Target does have generators and back-up power, but for a moment it didn't kick in and it was pitch black in the store. I was reaching for my cell phone to use as a flashlight (of sorts) when the backup lights kicked on. We decided to mosey on up to the front of the store to check on the weather situation and only had to stop one other time when the lights went out completely for another moment.
( Crappy cell phone camera picture )
I was standing about 20' back from the doors and they were being blown open by the wind and I was getting wet. The employees who were trying to hold the doors shut were having a hard time of it. I don't know what the wind was... wait, I can look it up! Apparently, about 45 mph, which for a sustained wind is quite strong. Stick your hand out a car window when you're going 45 and you get the idea. Try to hold, say, a trashcan lid out the window of the same car and you have an idea of how hard it was for them to hold on to the doors (these were young, fit guys having a problem).
Anyway, come to find out something has blown big-time and the registers are down, because the power is still out and their backup generator isn't powering them. We, of course, have already picked up ice cream. They offer to hold onto non-perishable items and people can pick them up later, but we have things like sliced deli meat and milk... come to find out, after milling around a bit, the portrait studio register is working. One working register for the whole store. Luckily, we got in line pretty quickly and did make it home (to a house that was still standing!) before the ice cream completely melted.
Oh, and by the time we checked out and left the store (maybe half an hour after that picture was taken)? Bright and sunny.
We stop in at Office Depot, and when we come out there's a serious line of black clouds and a lot of cloud to ground lightning. But it's a very thin line of black clouds, and you can see pretty, harmless fluffy clouds on the other side. I almost mention that maybe we should just head straight home, but it really looks like it will pass quickly. So we go in to Target.
We pick a cart with a shopping list laying at the bottom, and I pick it up. And immediately decide to bring it home, because, well... ( see for yourself )
I'm not sure if I want to imagine the circumstances surrounding that list...
Anyway, we're back towards the back of the store and we can hear it's thundering quite a bit. We look towards to front doors and the rain is just pouring down. Monsoon kind of pouring. I've been through a hurricane that wasn't as wet as this! So we decide to take our time, confident that it will pass fairly quickly.
Then the power goes out. Now, Target does have generators and back-up power, but for a moment it didn't kick in and it was pitch black in the store. I was reaching for my cell phone to use as a flashlight (of sorts) when the backup lights kicked on. We decided to mosey on up to the front of the store to check on the weather situation and only had to stop one other time when the lights went out completely for another moment.
( Crappy cell phone camera picture )
I was standing about 20' back from the doors and they were being blown open by the wind and I was getting wet. The employees who were trying to hold the doors shut were having a hard time of it. I don't know what the wind was... wait, I can look it up! Apparently, about 45 mph, which for a sustained wind is quite strong. Stick your hand out a car window when you're going 45 and you get the idea. Try to hold, say, a trashcan lid out the window of the same car and you have an idea of how hard it was for them to hold on to the doors (these were young, fit guys having a problem).
Anyway, come to find out something has blown big-time and the registers are down, because the power is still out and their backup generator isn't powering them. We, of course, have already picked up ice cream. They offer to hold onto non-perishable items and people can pick them up later, but we have things like sliced deli meat and milk... come to find out, after milling around a bit, the portrait studio register is working. One working register for the whole store. Luckily, we got in line pretty quickly and did make it home (to a house that was still standing!) before the ice cream completely melted.
Oh, and by the time we checked out and left the store (maybe half an hour after that picture was taken)? Bright and sunny.