Mother Nature is handing out E tickets* again...
Thursday July 27th 2006 we had a sudden violent deluge of rain and hail in C.B. South. Of course this was accompanied by lots of lightning and thunder causing many animals (but not our calm pups) to cower in fear. The storm moved from northeast to southwest, an unusual pattern for the area. But hey, this monsoon season has been anything but usual. These days you are lucky to get the yard mowed between storms.
With a dark sky and zero visibility to the northeast we settled in for a good show and were not disappointed. One lightning strike was so close to flyingcracker headquarters the thunderclap was virtually simultaneous with the flash. One neighbors descending garage door actually reversed direction with the shock wave and opened again. Eventually the storm moved over Whetstone and faded away. But the excitement wasn't over. As the last rains abated we saw many of Crested Butte's finest volunteer firefighters, etc. racing down Hwy 135 and into C.B. South. A look outside revealed the cause for alarm: a detached garage on Stephenson Place had been struck directly and something was smoldering in the attic. C.B. Fire had a quick and comprehensive response; we counted five vehicles responding to the call, all within minutes of the strike. Our firefighters and rescue personnel rock!
The affected garage is on the left, where the firefighters are raising an extension ladder. As luck would have it, today was the day when Cummins mechanics were working on the Crested Butte ladder truck (in C.B. South!) so it was apparently out of commission. Nevertheless the fire crew managed to get everything under control in a hurry.
Here is a closeup - note the blackened spot on the roof peak [lightning bolt is simulated]. Smoke is emanating from the strike zone, presumably the lightning sparked a fire of some kind.
We hope no one was hurt and damage was minimal. Please Mother Nature, give us a break! Lightning... Don't think it can't happen to you.
* E tickets refers to the original lettered tickets for rides at Disneyland. "E" tickets were for the BEST rides! The lettered tickets have long since gone away, but the term E-Ticket has always referred to the premiere attractions at the Magic Kingdom. However, please note that in no way do we feel that lightning striking your house is a fun experience. Instead, we are referring to the somewhat frightening fury of a mountain thunderstorm.