Severe Weather Alert for Orlando . . .

[Rammstein]

It's a typical afternoon in central Florida - nothing to get too concerned about around here. I live close to property and we just had the usual lightning and heavy rain.

It's funny how everyone always complains about the rain here in the summer, yet without it, the evenings are downright unbearable!

I don't complain!

If fact, when it rains over here, I hate it, but when you get the afternoon thunder storms, excluding hurricane's, it's rather nice. Not only does it cool you down after a hot day, but it is also still quite warm even when it's pelting it down.

 

[Crazy4WDW1]

Hasn't seemed like it the past few days, what with a tornado touching down in Butler County and such. Lightning around my house (a stones throw from Kennywood) was pretty intense!

I'm not far from you. I'm up near Mt. Oliver.

 

[dandaman]

Wasn't in a Disney park yesterday but was at Busch Gardens when the storms rolled in there. Even though I have lived in Florida for over 30 years, this one scared me some. We were on the train when it started to sprinkle. Didn't even look like it was going to rain. Within seconds it escalated to a down pour with lightning within 2-3 miles of the park. They emptied the train at the next station because even a grounded metal train is not a safe place to be. We waited out the storm in the train station which is near Sheikra. My sons were up in the line for Sheikra and were first in line. Because the storm came so fast, 2 cars of people were out on the coaster. This year the storms seem to build faster making it more dangerous for anyone in a park or outdoors because you really have to scramble in doors. Sheikra got AT LEAST 4 hits which scared everyone waiting out the storm. The sound is instant and quite intense when the lightning rods take a hit. We saw so many hits right on property yet people were still running from place to place out in the storm.
I assume the storms in the rest of Central Florida were as intense . We ended up waiting out the storm for over 2 hours. My sons did ride the first Sheikra when they started it again, but within an hour the heavy rains returned. The lightning was not as intense then, but you could see the damage the earlier storm did. A lot of kids were holding their ears and basically shaking in fear during the afternoon storm. When it started up again even adults were scrambling to cover quicker fearing more of the same.
I can say no one left the park dry. Even being under cover and in a restaurant outdoor covered area we managed to get soaked. Sideways rain is hard to stay dry in. There was no way to avoid getting wet on the tram to the car either.
One good thing about BG if you buy a ticket and it rains like it did yesterday, you can get free passes good for any day within 7 days.

My videos don't do what we lived through justice, but they're uploaded from last August nonetheless. This is what happens when the most intense storm ever rolls through at BGA park closing time and everyone's waiting for a tram. (It was the most frightening storm ever, and yet it was totally awesome. :drevil: )

http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/ee88/dandaman7/?action=view&current=ApocalypseNow.flv

http://s235.photobucket.com/albums/ee88/dandaman7/?action=view&current=Titanic.flv

...When the skies look like this when the sun's already disappeared, something's up. :lol:

Strictly speaking of Disney parks, however, I posted my basic summer-day itinerary a few weeks ago relating to avoiding the daily apocalypti... a gold star to whoever can find it, because I can't even locate it in my post history for some odd reason. :lol:

 

[Crazy4WDW1]

Awesome videos. Thanks for sharing!

Last July we were at MK on the TTA when we could see a storm rolling in. Just as we were disembarking it started to pour, loads of lightening, thunder, the works. We headed over the COP. While on the ride it just stops. An engineer come in and says we were struck by lightening. Since the storm was in full force, they couldn't let us off the ride. We were stuck on the ride for almost 1/2 hour. Being the geeks that we are, we didn't mind at all. :ROFLOL: When we finally were able to leave we lucky enough to be exiting from the back side of the ride. It was cool to see the backstage area!

I have to admit that I'm a weather geek. I love all the weather websites, etc. However, the storms in Orlando freak me out when I'm out in the middle of one! Yikes!

 

[LetsGoAgain]

Well is kind of funny that last year when I went down to WDW it did not rain one day. But if it rains or not, I would enjoy my vacation down in WDW either way.

It didn't rain one day when we were there in May either! The weather was perfect.

 

[rainfully]

Hey Noreen! :wave:

The storms yesterday were SCARY. The first Luau was cancelled... the sky was BLACK. It was pretty intense!!

 

[NOVAtraveler]

Took AutoTrain down in early July. Train went through some MAJOR t'storms in the middle of the night (South Carolina). It was pretty cool to lay in bed, look out at storm, but it was very loud, too.

Rained every day in Orlando, but they were those awesome cloudbursts that put on a great show, cool everything off.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

That is a understatement....Can anyone else tell I am sick of FL?:lol::lookaroun

Move to Scotland, if you dont like the weather, just wait a minute. :animwink:

 

[Master Yoda]

Move to Scotland, if you dont like the weather, just wait a minute. :animwink:

It is the same in Florida. The only difference is you get cold and rainy and we get hot and rainy.

 

[dandaman]

I have to admit that I'm a weather geek. I love all the weather websites, etc. However, the storms in Orlando freak me out when I'm out in the middle of one! Yikes!

Same to the first, though I feel safest during Orlando's severe storms due to all the lightning rods. :lol:

 

[rainfully]

It is the same in Florida. The only difference is you get cold and rainy and we get hot and rainy.

Meh... go to St. Louis... they have EVERYTHING! :ROFLOL:

Somebody once told me they went to school in St. Louis... and it was the hottest they'd ever been... and the coldest they'd ever been... all in one year! :lol:

 

[Master Yoda]

Meh... go to St. Louis... they have EVERYTHING! :ROFLOL:

Somebody once told me they went to school in St. Louis... and it was the hottest they'd ever been... and the coldest they'd ever been... all in one year! :lol:

They don't have WDW so I am staying right here!

 

[raven]

Personally I'd take the rain anyday compared to what we go through here in the North.

Take a look at what happens in Michigan when you your car in a church parking lot overnight:

They thought it would be funny to push all of the snow around my car and they continued to do it for several weeks since I couldn't shovel it out. By the time the snow thawed 2 months later the axel was rusted.

 

[Disney_Belle]

I have experienced the summer storms in WDW, sometimes they get scary. I have a picture at home from 2002 watching a show in front of the castle at 10:30 in the morning, and the sky was so dark you could have sworn it was 8:30 at night. It was really creepy :lookaroun

Although I have to say, the tornado warnings we got here in Mass/RI yesterday evening caught me a bit off guard. Not used to seeing those around here, and it scared the you know what out of me!!! I have experienced tornadoes when visting North Carolina to see family, and I wouldn't mind never meeting with one again lol.

Last night when I went outside for a bit after the storms gave up for a bit, it reminded me of florida, and how everything smells (aside from sweaty people in ponchos :hurl after a thunder storm.

 

[SeaBreeze]

I have to admit that I'm a weather geek. I love all the weather websites, etc.

Another weather geek here :wave: When I was applying to grad school, half my applications were sent to programs to get a PhD in tropical meteorology (what can I say, you grow up with hurricanes, you get a bit fascinated with them) and the other half to engineering.

Hm. I guess I'm just a straight up geek.

 

[palmage]

I'll trade places with you!! 9" of snow in May are you EFFIN' kidding me!!

But everbody knows Miami's really not part of Florida.:lol::lol:

 

[Crazy4WDW1]

Hey Noreen! :wave:

The storms yesterday were SCARY. The first Luau was cancelled... the sky was BLACK. It was pretty intense!!

Hi, Rain!!!
:sohappy:

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Move to Scotland, if you dont like the weather, just wait a minute. :animwink:

It is the same in Florida. The only difference is you get cold and rainy and we get hot and rainy.

Exactly...I LOVE the cold...I went to Philly on a school trip in April and it was about 50 degrees windy and rainy.I WAS IN HEAVEN!!:sohappy::lol:

But everbody knows Miami's really not part of Florida.:lol::lol:

:lookaroun


(I know but I'm living in denial.:lol

 

[marni1971]

You love the cold? Have some of ours! It was 50 degrees when we got home last Sunday. As in fahrenheit. It`s the low 80`s now mind. Looks like we brought some back with us!

One of the (many) reasons we love Orlando so much are the storms - but it's a fine line between enjoying natures beauty and peoples lives being affected. From World Showcase, the lightning storm (with no thunder or rain where we were) on July 5th was stunning. A great backdrop to RoE!

 

[EPCOT Explorer]

Marni, I would take it in a HEARTBEAT.This morning it was in the low/mid 90's and now it's a huge thunderstorm(but I don't mind that LOL)
:lol:I'm a freak, I know.