Thanks ljk (wish everyone just had first names instead of these dfi's).
Weather predicting is an art and a science. Since the weather patterns here in the tropics are changing, I am quite interested in meteorology the past three years. (I read the article last night.) BTW, I try and read most of your links if I'm not too busy. Just takes me awhile to get around to them. What part of the country do you live in?

We had a freak storm last night I got caught in, barely made it home.
Felt like WWIII was unleashed on us. Since all these hurricanes, strong winds, lightening and heavy rain make me NERVOUS.
I had left my laptop plugged in with no surge protector and put the cat out thinking I'd be gone barely an hour. (I'll never leave the house again without checking the radar.) We had just had one of our first sunny days in a long time, so I didn't even think of to check. In retrospect, I can remember seeing some of the TALLEST, grey looking thunderheads I have ever seen earlier in the day, but figured it was part of that weather system that had just formed off the coast of Florida and was drenching the north-east.

I had to pick up some medicine and take it to a girlfriend of mine who just got out of the hospital. As soon as I got there it started to drizzle and the clouds were a dusty greyish brown. Within 15 minutes there were HUGE lightening strikes and as I was leaving I saw a WALL of water coming at me, couldn't see across the lake. Within a minute I was in it driving back to the house in blinding rain. The wind was whipping around the trees like they were streamers attached to an AC unit and the waves of water coming off the roads at corners were at times higher than my SUV. The rain was coming straight across the road and reminded me of snow flying sideways in a blizzard. it was surreal.

Anyway, with the earth heating up, being very dry and then very hot, I can see we are all in for a summer of terrifying storms and monsoon rains unlike any remembered in history. I'd pack up on extra supplies, and pull the galoshes out of the closet. I only hope I can get out of Florida soon and get up to the mountains, which from this point in time looks to be about 4-5 weeks.