At about 9 p.m. the clouds covered the Western horizon, immediately the wind cut through the air, so moveless and moist just a moment ago. And then came the rain, fresh smell of Ozone - and the endless flashing of lightning, followed by a loud roll of thunder right over our heads.
I seemed to remember how violent the thunderstorms used to be here. But I have forgotten the sensations.... The storm was a great refresher for my memory - in my childhood I always thought they were very romantic; and the world wakes up cleansed after they're over....
Vilnius is an old city, with old drainage systems, and this storm brought so much water down, it was all too much for the good ol' pipes and tunnels to handle.
Immediately, the street my mother lives on, flooded. The water kept coming down, till the road, curbs, lawn and, finally, cars parked alongside the curbs, were nearly engulfed by the turbulent, violent stream, rushing into the lowest dip of the street, turning in a whirlpool and rushing back out.
Where four minutes ago there was a street, now was a river...
The most amazing thing I found, was that some drivers, caught in this sudden rise of a flood, still decided to take a shot at driving through it. Moments later, they joined, what looked like a "Saturday Night 'Push Your Dead Car Home'" party... no pun intended...
The luckier ones continued on lighter flooded sidewalks, lawns, or just turned around, while they still could.
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BTW - the air here is heating up back to 30s again... We might see the cycle repeat itself...
I am so blessed!
There will be video on this fun night, which I am planning to publish as soon as I return to BC.
ReplyDeleteAnd Gerry Gail - you gave me an Idea about a bag collection, based on this experience... I am thinking... Brown, Frilly, Wavy and Knotted...