Flash Floods...A Foreign Concept to an Eastern Montanan

Okay, before reading this you have to realize one thing: I grew up in the desert prairie land of Eastern Montana. Home for me consists of sagebrush, yucca plants, antelope, wide open views and small amounts of rain...maybe an inch or so a month on a good year.

In the past 2 days, Tyler has received 3 inches of rain (according to the weather.com). Now this isn't the soft gentle rain I'm familiar with in the north that drizzles slowly to earth as you watch it. No, Texas rain is much more equivalent to walking outside and having water from a fireman's hose pelt you as you try and go about your business.

Driving is nearly impossible. Wipers are no match to continuous buckets of water poured on the windshield. Going to the grocery store or checking the mail becomes a cold bone-drenching expedition. Seeing drainage ditches filled to capacity becomes common place.

Flash foods, hydroplaning, freezing rain...they are all new to me. I now recognize the necessity of an umbrella in East Texas winters. Sure it makes for a wonderful green springtime, but personally I would much rather have my familiar piles of snow. The gloom of rain clouds and the damp feeling I've had the last few days just isn't for me. 5 inches of rain in half a month just doesn't seem normal. Give me the snow please!

For our northern readers, here are some photos to illustrate the southern rain concept. Normally, this drainage ditch behind our apartment is completely empty, and the slanted walls stretch downward for quite a distance. Two nights ago this is what it looked like...I'm pretty sure we had a river in our backyard!!!