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Post by dawg53 on Jul 18, 2018 5:23:05 GMT -5
We had one heckuva storm yesterday afternoon. Small branches and pine needles blowing into our yard from across the street with hard sideways driving rains from the south. The tarps did their job keeping rain out of the chicken pens. The chickens were huddled on the roosts under the coops safe and sound.
Our back yard flooded but not the front and side yards. I've been building sand laden chicken poop dams on one side of the house that has prevented flooding. It actually works! LOL.
I ordered a "Quick dam 17' flood barrier" from Home Depot and going to pick it up today. I'm going to place it in the backyard several feet out from the house. It's supposed to absorb rainwater, expanding, and acting like a sandbag barrier to stop flooding. If it works, I'll be ordering a few more. I'll let yall know if it works or not.
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Post by boskelli1571 on Jul 18, 2018 6:32:39 GMT -5
I'm 53 y o and have never had ac except for my very first apartment and then I discovered I didn't like it.I use fans all through the house,like Sem,and it works for the most part.The heat doesn't bother me much unless it's really hot for long periods.I have an ac window unit for the bedroom but I've only used it once in 18 yrs,back in 2013.I use strategically placed fans,a lot of fans,but it creates a nice wind tunnel of cool air in the house even though the house is in the middle of a big field with no shade.It gets a little warm late afternoon/early evening but it's tolerable if it's just for a few days.I agree about the sun,it's intolerable to be out long in the afternoon/evening.Earlier this year,I cut the front grass about 2 pm,took about an hour but the sun drained me,an actual physical draining,and I never experienced anything like that before.I don't do anything outside for long periods between 1-6 pm now.I know I'm getting old but I'm not THAT old,so it's the sun's fault,not mine......  I hear you loud and clear! It has been so hot that I have felt physically drained for the last week or so... can't get anything done outside except for the necessities..  |
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Post by chickenqueen on Jul 18, 2018 7:34:35 GMT -5
The hottest day for the next week is tomorrow at 86.The rest of the week is low 80's and low humidity.We need some rain and hopefully it will come this weekend.
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Post by seminolewind on Jul 18, 2018 11:43:03 GMT -5
Yea Sue. When it gets hot and humid up by you it's a real shocker!
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Post by dawg53 on Jul 18, 2018 17:15:07 GMT -5
I got the "Quick dam 17' flood barrier" set out in the back yard. It was rolled up in a bag and it has material inside it that absorbs water and inflates up to 3 inches high when filled. For severe flooding they recommend several built up layers. According to the instructions, it'll take 2 or 3 months for the water inside the barrier to EVAPORATE, if it doesnt rain in that period of time.
It hasnt rained hard enough today to cause our back yard to flood and for the barrier to inflate, go figure.
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Post by dawg53 on Jul 19, 2018 4:39:41 GMT -5
I walk the dog early every morning, at about 5am. This morning the humidity is unbearable; very thick, feels "heavy." Thank goodness for a/c!
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Post by seminolewind on Jul 19, 2018 9:56:58 GMT -5
I'm surprised you have a problem with flooding. Sand is the way to go, but depends how much of a problem you have. I guess you have a big one.
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Post by dawg53 on Jul 19, 2018 17:46:07 GMT -5
I'm surprised you have a problem with flooding. Sand is the way to go, but depends how much of a problem you have. I guess you have a big one. It's the deluge storms we get Karen. They either park over our neighborhood or they are "training," one right after another. Our ground is saturated with water from so much rain, so it floods. Everyone is sick of it. The chicken pens dont flood. Remember all that sand I hauled in earlier this year? It paid off lol. |
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Post by seminolewind on Jul 20, 2018 0:05:49 GMT -5
I tried to weed today but it started to rain. So I just went in and went to amazon and ordered some weed killer that goes in a hose sprayer. I just have too much for the little sprayers I have.
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Post by Sylie on Jul 20, 2018 8:28:06 GMT -5
We got some heavy rain, thunder, lightning, the whole gambit, even a few spits of hail. Tornado warning, it was a wild afternoon but thankfully everything is just fine, no major limbs down, no tornado, just a good solid garden soaking rain. |
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Post by chickenqueen on Jul 20, 2018 9:43:08 GMT -5
Thanks for sharing,Sylie!!!I woke up to thunderstorms this morning.Suppose to get bad this evening bringing damaging winds,hail and possible tornadoes with up to 3" of rain,which we need.Right now it's still in the low 60's and I can hear some mean sounding thunder in the distance.
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Post by seminolewind on Jul 20, 2018 11:17:01 GMT -5
OMG!!!! I was watching the news on those Iowa tornadoes. Just popped up out of no where. The last 2 looked like the perfect model pictures for tornados. The pics just grabbed me and brought tears to my eyes. Has anyone here been within eyesight of one while at home?
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Post by dawg53 on Jul 20, 2018 15:49:24 GMT -5
Yeah, I just watched the Iowa tornadoes on the news, scary. Glad you're okay Sylie.
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Post by Sylie on Jul 20, 2018 22:12:26 GMT -5
Thx! Yeah, the closest one to me was the Ottumwa Airport one, a rain wrapped. Going from closest to me to farthest from me was Ottumwa, Oskaloosa then Pella then Mesquawki then Altoona then Marshalltown so they got weaker and smaller the closer they came to me. Thank goodness. The Ottumwa one was about 30 miles from me. Altoona is the one that had 2 at the same time, a funnel cloud and a tornado. altoona is about the same distance from me as Mesquawki (approx 2 hour drive). I mentioned it was a wild afternoon lol We were glued to the TV all day.
Sem, I've seen a few in my lifetime, I've lived in the midwest most of my life except for 7 or 8 yrs in Massachusetts. They really do sound like trains! and yes, everything turns an eery shade of green when one is close enough.
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Post by dawg53 on Jul 21, 2018 4:21:41 GMT -5
Sylie, do you have a storm cellar/basement?
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Post by Sylie on Jul 21, 2018 7:45:05 GMT -5
Dawg, no, unfortunately we don't. We live in a trailer, the only one on our street lol.
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Post by chickenqueen on Jul 21, 2018 8:49:07 GMT -5
Off and on thunderstorms all day yesterday.We got a good soaking rain but we missed the hail and strong winds.It also brought a cold front.We had to close the windows and I still have a sweatshirt on,it's really chilly.They're calling for more storms today and tomorrow.
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Post by seminolewind on Jul 21, 2018 12:24:02 GMT -5
Sylie if I lived in a trailer , I'd be digging a big hole in my yard! I think tornadoes are far more serious than hurricanes . You can't forecast tornadoes, and how many people don't take them as serious because the alarm goes off for nothing so many times without being hit?
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Post by Sylie on Jul 21, 2018 23:48:11 GMT -5
We started digging for a storm shelter at one point but then my parents had some health issues and had to move in with us, we didn't have room for them so my husband built them a little mini apartment onto our house, the only place for it was over the hole he was digging. We will get back to it eventually. I know people don't take the alarms serious because they don't understand how they work. The alarm goes off if a tornado is spotted within a certain distance from the town's limit. I think it's 20 miles. But most of the time, if a tornado does happen to breach our city limits it's on the outskirts of the limit, where there are few people, this is farm country so we have a lot of fields and sparse buildings on the edges of the limits. There hasn't been a tornado that came into the town part since 1950 so a alot of the people have a false sense of security. One day it's going to happen again, the town will be wiped out. Even I am a little less worried than I should be. I've lived in the midwest most of my life and tornadoes are just part of life for me. Honestly, I think they are cool, not the destruction and loss of life but the actually tornado itself, the physical tornado. They are an example of how angry mother nature can get and really, if you put aside the fear and actually look at one, the structure of it, the shape, how it moves, they sort of dance and sway like there is music, they are kind of amazing. (maybe my crazy is showing again?)
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Post by dawg53 on Jul 22, 2018 5:22:47 GMT -5
I'm with you on tornadoes, even as a kid I was always fascinated with them. I've always wanted to go tornado chasing and see one out in a field somewhere, not that it would damage anything though.
I've seen a few waterspouts, not as exciting as watching a tornado. I watch them on Youtube sometimes.
Hurricanes are no fun, it seems like they never end once you go through one.
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