Thu., Sep 9, 1999

Flash Boom Weather
Nothing like a rare thunder and lightning storm to electrify the Bay. Wow. (With Video)

Surprise Thunderstorm Booms Through Bay Area
Flashy lightning display -- power lines downed
David Tuller, Chuck Squatriglia, Chronicle Staff Writers
Thursday, September 9, 1999
)1999 San Francisco Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/09/09/MN29118.DTL

A rare summer thunderstorm rumbled into the Bay Area yesterday, putting on a spectacular lightning show last night as it rattled windows as well as nerves.

Hundreds of lightning bolts lit the night sky as heavy downpours continued on and off for hours in some areas.

There were no reports of serious damage, although power was knocked out to 55,000 customers in the Bay Area and lightning strikes were blamed for four small wildfires in Monterey County.

According to Diana Henderson, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, the electrical storm was ``a rare occurrence'' and was expected to end today.

[snip]

About 55,000 Bay Area customers were without power last night, said PG&E spokeswoman Maureen Bogues. About 40,000 customers on the Peninsula lost power when a lightning strike caused three substations to go out, she said.

About 12,000 customers in Morgan Hill and Gilroy and 3,000 customers in the East Bay also lost power.

``This is earlier in the year than we usually have this kind of activity,'' she said. ``It's more typical of November. The lightning is unpredictable. It hits power lines. Transformers go out; circuit breakers trip, and we can get pole fires.''

[snip--to end--long article]

###

Expect... the unexpected.

;-D

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999

Answers

I lived in SF for several years. In lieu of snow, they get horrendous wind/rain storms every year around Xmas, often bad enough to close the Golden Gate Bridge for several hours.

Autumn, however, is by far their best season for weather. The 10th anniversary of the Almost Big One is coming up on October 17. I was there. The weather that day was spectacularly perfect. If heaven has weather, that's what it must be like, only without the ground moving.

-- I left (my@heart.etc), September 09, 1999.

Indian summer brings the Monarchs, and sunsets with crepuscular rays.

-- flora (***@__._), September 09, 1999.

In more of the "unexpected" categories...

Couple of other different 9/9/99 stories... from the Seattle Times:

Prank phone call, not 9-9-99, disrupts BPA power

http://www.seattletimes.com/news/technology/html98/ bpa_19990909.html

Woman's stunt high above Ship Canal Bridge was well-planned

http://www.seattletimes.com/news/local/html98/ clim_19990909.html

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

Diane, your storm made our local noon news! :-) (Guess it's just cause we're jealous!)

Gayla, who is still sweltering in 96 degree heat, has had only 1/10 of an inch of rain since June 30th, and whose water and electric bills cause weeping and gnashing of teeth! :-O

-- Gayla (privacy@please.com), September 09, 1999.

Gayla, sorry to hear about your weather and attendant utility costs...La Nina brought those of us in S. California one of the coolest summers on record while it brought much of the nation drought and heat. My folks in SC just got some hurricane-related rain in the last few weeks.

Diane,...dang woman,...I would love a good thunderstorm...what we get down here that passes for them is a joke. And,...you know what some say beyond "expect the unexpected": Shift happens! Some woman of my acquaintance said that once, methinks.

--She stands upon a hill, wearing a sheet, not cloud-busting, but wishing for a gully-washer, and the sweet smell of ozone in the air.

-- Donna (moment@pacbell.net), September 09, 1999.

Donna,

Careful what you wish for, this one was a DOOZEY!

-- flora (***@__._), September 09, 1999.

Gayla,

Wow! All the way in Texas! Newz sure travels fast. (Wishing you bathtubs full of ice cubes).

;-D

Donna,

Its been a cool summer up here too. This is the first rain for this summer. Odd.

As I mentioned on another thread (because when theres lightning striking, as a matter of personal policy, the computer gets shut down)... last night in Silicon Valley, I watched the natural magic for hours. Even got up again at 4:30 a.m., sat on the back deck sipping coffee, petting a kitty cat, and just delighted in the effervescent light streaks and dark rumbles. (i.e. like listening to Divine laughter).

Sometimes, we all need a reminder that we're not running this show... just players, onstage, for awhile. Even Koskinen, et. al., can play all the perception management games they choose, and still... theyre not in charge.

Thinking of this as evidence that the cosmos likes a good joke!

Back to sunshine now... MN's 9/9/99 testing is over. ;-)

Time for a walk in the ozone-fresh air... and a hot caffe latte.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

Yep, flora. It WAS quite a doozey!

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

KCBS (Local NewsRadio) reported that lighting hit one house in the gas main and it exploded into a blow torch. The garage burnt down and the house was severely burned.

At an other house the lightning hit a tree and snapped it off, it fell into the house causing lots of damage.

More than a little damage Diane ;)

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

helium,

Hadn't heard about the gas main strike. Ouch.

So... did you watch the light show?

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 09, 1999.

I sure wish the storm had made it up here to the Northern part of the Sacramento Valley. Some rain/wind would have helped get rid of all the smoke we have built up from the fires.

-- Homeschooling Grandma (mlaymon@glenn-co.k12.ca.us), September 11, 1999.