Stormy weather
Listening to the thunder outside. I like storms. Harmless ones are good. This one seems pretty intense though. Very loud. I can smell the wet earth and my feet stick to the wood panels on the floor. Can't sleep tonite. It's funny that when you get older you can't turn off your mind. Sometimes the strangest thoughts pop up at 12:30 a.m.
I remember taking a trip to the east coast with Sis and Bro many, many years ago. We were in D.C. and in the hotel room. It was the first time I ever saw lightning. Actual bolts coming out of the sky. I envisioned Zeus or some other mythical being shooting them down from the heavens.
Sis says that Melbourne is the lightning capital of the U.S. When I was there a few years ago in the summer (C-Man was only Fetus-Man at that point) there were lightning storms almost every afternoon. It was cool, unless you were Sumi, the-dog-who-got-stuck-under-the-bed-because-she-was-hiding-from-the-thunder.
The NWS Melbourne Lightning Information shows the following statistics (you know me... can't ask a question without looking for the answers):
-Deaths due to weather/weather related phenomena in Florida: 1959 - 1993 (from Storm Data): Deaths by lightning 53.1%
-Total number of people killed/injured by lightning in Florida between the years 1959 and 2004: Killed 428; Injured 1689
-Average number of people killed/injured nationwide between the years 1995 and 2004: Killed 49; Injured 313
-Top 10 States with most lightning casualties (deaths + injuries), 1959 - 2004: Ranked #1 Florida 2117
-Top 10 States with most fatalities, 1959 - 2004: Ranked #1 Florida 428
-Average number of people killed/injured in Florida between the years 1959 - 2004: Average Killed 9; Average Injured 37 (Based on the above numbers, the odds are about 1 in 5 that you will be killed if struck by lightning. )
-East Central Florida Lightning Casualty Statistics 1959 - 1996: Brevard County; Killed 23; Injured 69
-Number of thunderstorm days in the central Florida area: East coast (Melbourne/Vero Beach) 70-80
-Approximate number of lightning strikes in Brevard county, Florida per month: August was the highest month with 6676
Storm is getting closer. Thunder louder. Dogs must be freaking out w/Bro. Should check on them, but beginning to feel the sleep.
Hot Link: NWS Melbourne Lightning Information
My mood: brain is awake, but the rest of me is ready for bed