In Like A Lion...

March weather is creating havoc all over.

Talked to my mom last night, who lives in Dickinson ND, and she described the blizzard that was happening. All of the windows on the front side of the house were frozen over, she couldn't see out at all. It had rained earlier, so beneath the feet of snow that the blizzard will leave is a sheet of ice. Be careful out there, Mom.

My friend Vicky, who lives in Fargo ND, blogged about she and her son helping hundreds of other people sandbag through the night. They're going back today to sandbag some more, which is awesome. Area schools have given students the option of staying in school and studying, or sandbagging, and most are opting for sandbagging, it's that serious.

The normal Fargo flood stage is 18 feet. It had reached 25 feet as of yesterday. They are predicting the Red River to crest at 40 feet by Friday.

I hope my friend's basement stays dry, as does all of Fargo. I hope that those dikes are strong and hold back the water. North Dakota folks are hardy people, and can "weather" the harsh climate, but this will be a true test of their spirit.

I remember growing up on 13th St. West and having to bail out our window wells when storms would come through because our basement was very prone to flooding. Our neighbors, the Christensons, would lend a hand sometimes. It was a community effort then, as it is now.

St. Louis weather today looks to be a bit on the crazy side. Bad t-storms, winds from 30-40 mph, with gusts of 45-57 mph. This is what I read on Yahoo! Severe Weather Alert:

"THOSE DRIVING LIGHTWEIGHT AND HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES WILL NEED TO
USE CAUTION...AS THESE GUSTY WINDS MAY MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO
CONTROL YOUR VEHICLE. LOSS OF CONTROL WILL BE OF SPECIAL CONCERN
WHILE DRIVING ON EAST-WEST ROADS."

Let's be careful out there.