Update and video of our "Mother Nature Sneeze"

Well for those who read my discussion about our "derecho" thunderstorm this past Monday 7/21/08 http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1616447.aspx here's a little update, picture and a video that I found on youtube.

Clean up still continues at a slow but steady rate. After 5 days many people on the other end of town are still without power, including a couple of people my husband works with and one of my best friends. Even our Super WalMart is still without power. We are helping where we can but it's mostly up to people with chain saws to cut up the downed trees and haul them away, the power company to replace the poles that were snapped in half and get the lines reconnected, and of course the contractors to repair the homes and business that were damaged.

I can't help but feel so incredibly lucky since we have no damage to our house and only a few broken branches and gutter damage in our neighborhood. We were only without power for 13 1/2 hrs which still amazes me. I fully expected it to be out for days.

Here's the video. This is only one family's property but very typical of the damage to our area. From the description in the video she only lives about 2 miles from me so you can see why I feel so very lucky. The picture I posted is of a power pole snapped in half a few blocks from our house.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y86-_sC8Up0

I'd like to say that I would not even attempt to compare what we are going through to what those who live along the gulf coast are going through right now with the aftermath of hurricane Dolly. My heart goes out to them and I wish them a very quick clean up and recovery.