Was that a Hurricane in Pittsburgh Last Night?!

I don’t really trust weather reports.  Around here, they always seem to get it wrong – either the big snow they predict turns out to be flurries, or they say it’s going to rain, and the sun is out all day long.  But, when they warn about a snow storm or torrential downpours, I at least am prepared (mentally at least) for them to happen.

Yesterday, the only thing I was aware of was that it was probably going to rain.  So, when I left to pick Gabby up for an evening of poetry and the Pittsburgh Symphony, I brought my umbrella.  I stopped at the MAC machine first…and it was just starting to sprinkle.  By the time I drove from the South Side to Point Breeze – all of what 5 miles? – it was pouring.  Gabby raced to get into my car, and we were off to downtown.

That’s when it started getting interesting.  It was raining so hard I could barely see the car in front of me.  When we pulled up to the Church that was holding the performance, it was coming down hard…and the wind was racing making the rain come down in every direction.  We decided to sit it out in the car until it slowed down.  It usually rains hard for a few minutes and then drastically slows.  Well, it didn’t seem to slow, in fact it only seemed to rain harder.  And then the hail started coming down.

At that point the streets around downtown Pittsburgh were flooding and looking to get worse with every passing second.  So Gabby and I decided to go home.  An hour and a half later, we made it to her house – after trying to go about 5 different ways and definitely going through high rushing water that you’re advised to stay away from.  Gabby’s house didn’t have power, and her basement was flooded.  I waited the storm out there for a bit before trying to make it back to the South Side.

When I left around 8pm, it was still raining, but normal rain.  Fifth Avenue wasn’t flooded any more whn I got to it, so I relaxed a bit and kept driving.  And then the rain started coming down harder and harder.  And the roads started flooding all over again.

Somehow, I safely made it home.  I’m convinced it’s only because my car is somehow a land/water machine…kind of like those Ducky Tour Boats.

Gabby eventually got her power back and now gets to start drying out her basement.

The point:  where are the weather FORECASTERS?  By definition, they’re supposed to prepare us for weather BEFORE it happens.  Yes, all of the local news stations were more than happy to start covering the storm nonstop…but that’s not good enough.  They need to figure out how to know these things are going to happen ahead of time and to let people know.