Although it is just a few days before Halloween, our local weather seemed to be coming in unseasonably like a spring lamb — until some vicious weather tricks suddenly struck the Chattanooga area Tuesday night.
The center of the worst blast seemed to be Chickamauga Dam and the surrounding area. Electric power lines were broken, turning out thousands of lights. A familiar green highway sign crashed down near the dam. Some home roofs were ripped away, and trees were uprooted. Motorists were caught in threatening rainy conditions. Several people were sent to a hospital after one accident, but their injuries were not life-threatening.
The tornado left as fast as it came.
As daylight came Wednesday, there was a sense of relief as residents looked around to determine the degree of damage from the wind.
There fortunately were no reports of lost lives in our locale.
Our community was not alone in experiencing extreme weather, though. Throughout several states in the Midwest, strong gusts caused much more extensive damage than our area suffered.
Now, in Chattanooga, mild weather thankfully has returned, after some welcome rain. Temperature highs in the 60s and 70s are expected — with sunshine the rest of this week.
Our trees still have most of their leaves, with fall colors beginning to show. We expect much more pleasant and comfortable weather for some time yet, and possibly a colorful Thanksgiving, before real winter weather arrives.