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On Wednesday of this week, August 4, 2010, we had a brief but
vicious thunderstorm with lightening and hail! We get hail fairly
often here, and it's usually the size of peas. This was the biggest
that I've ever seen in person! It was about the size of water chestnuts
and make quite a racket smashing against the windows and the roof!
It was so strange to walk outside ~ it was 95 degrees ~ and pick
up chunks of ice that were falling from the sky!
The largest hail ever recorded in the world fell right here in theUnited States on June 22, 2003! In Aurora, Nebraska, hail damaged
trees, homes, cars and left small craters in people's yards.
The 75-year-old retired Aurora farmer, Dale Obermeier, is keeping this
stone in his freezer, wrapped in tin foil beside his Cool Whip and bread.
Hailstones exceeding 10 inches in diameter have been reported on
occasion, but the Aurora hailstone is the
world's largest hailstone ever officially recorded.
"I looked outside, and it was raining volleyballs," he said.
17.5 " in circumference and 2 pounds!
*****
Pretty cool, huh!? I hope the Obermeier's power doesn't ever go
out and that hailstone melts! What do you want to bet they
have a generator just to protect that piece of history? :)
And just 2 weeks ago, on July 23, this hailstone was found by Les Scott in Vivian, South Dakota. 18.62 inches in circumference and 1 pound, 15 ounces! Less weight but bigger circumference...I wonder if they are fighting over the record?
ouch!!!! wow, that's neat to see, thanks for sharing. I have never seen hail like that before...
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ReplyDeleteThat is some big hail. I've never seen it as big as what you got, much less the other ones!
ReplyDeleteWhat huge hail. Can't imagine the damage that made. BTW, we have some snow saved in our freezer :)
ReplyDeletethat stuff can do major damage!!!
ReplyDeleteHi, my name is Karen from
ReplyDeletehttp://glassofsweettea.blogspot.com/
I wanted stop by and introduce myself. I came along your blog and I truly enjoyed it.. and i will be back to visit again..
Hope you get a chance to stop by me some time soon..
God Bless you and your family.
oh dang...that is some huge hail...there was a video not too long ago of a pool getting thrashed by the hail...i need to see if i can find it...
ReplyDeleteAmazing! Hail Mary!
ReplyDeletexoxo
Jane
I hope your new wheels weren't damaged.
ReplyDeleteWe don't get much hail up here, although we've had more storms than usual this summer since it's been a little warmer. Of course, I'm speaking from the experience of two whole summers in Michigan, but overall the weather here is not as severe in the summer (tornados and storms and such).
We used to get lots of hail in Illinois (by St. Louis), but I never saw any that big although there was supposedly some close by.
The record in 2003 was on my anniversary.
One of me aunties lost her new car to a hail storm! I trust your new "wheels" are okay?
ReplyDeleteHi karen~ thanks so much for stopping by! I'll be sure and come visit your blog very soon!
ReplyDeleteSubby and Kayren ~ no, the wheels were safe in the garage! Thank goodness! :)
ReplyDeleteBack in '89 (April 3rd) we had a hail storm and they were the size of golf balls and that produced ALOT of damage to the area and cars. WOW! The hail in your pictures would be terrible!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about your car too...glad is was safe in the garage.
ReplyDeleteThose are some big "snow cones"
Oh Wanda...you're always wanting to drizzle sweet stuff on food! haha. :)
ReplyDeleteAny reaction from the guys about the hail?
ReplyDeleteI might have been tempted to catch the hail in our dogs swimming pool and just sit in it myself...this is the hottest summer I can remember. I hope it didn't do too much damage!
ReplyDeleteThey're serious chunks of ice! Golfball size caused $5000 to our car a couple of years back. It had also been a hot day with no hint of what was about to happen.
ReplyDeleteWhoa! I had no idea hail could be that large. Think about the damage that stuff could do.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I hope you didn't have any damage from the storm. We had crazy flash floods here last night.
ReplyDeleteAlaine ~ that's exactly how it was here...sunny and very hot! We didn't have any damage...just a lot of leaves out of the trees. But ours wasn't golfball size, either!
ReplyDeleteThat is some large hail, we do not get anything larger than just small pellets. I dislike hail very much as it is so destructive.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely weekend,
xo
After reading this, my first thought was whether or not anyone was injured. Stones that size can do you in. Wow.
ReplyDeleteGoodness me Betsy, that is one enormous hailstone. Hail is still fairly rare over here and I have never seen anything approaching the size of that. Stay in, stay safe.
ReplyDeleteWe had hail at The Glen too but NOT THAT BIG Betsy! I worry it will ding vehicles or break windows.
ReplyDeleteLOVED having the rain though...we needed it.
Wouldn't want to get caught in a hailstorm in Nebraska!! My brother who lives just under 20 miles from me, always gets hail...we don't.
ReplyDeleteMatty ~ that's what I was thinking! Ohe of those huge ones hitting your head and you're dead! yikes! I didn't see anything about deaths or injuries when I did the research though.
ReplyDeleteYikes! I wouldn't want to be out in the hail storm. It could cause major headaches :)
ReplyDeleteI did a double take when I first looked at your photo.
ReplyDeletehttp://justseven.blogspot.com/2008/06/hail-to-chief-and-straw-breeze.html
Martha ~ that is UNREAL how much our photos are alike! I bet you did look twice! ha.
ReplyDeleteChristine ~ Alex was especially interested. He stood at the door and watched with me. :)
ReplyDeleteHey Betsy.. Im so glad you stopped by to visit. and thank you for the sweet comments.. Yes.. my husband and I have learnt a lot from our divorce, even thought it was for a very short time.. now I teach a womans bible study class on Secrets to Transforming your Life and Marriage.
ReplyDeletewriten by Gary Smalley and Kari Clarensau.. We have everyday struggles, but God showed us so much grace and saved our marriage..and our family..
God bless you and your family and hope to see you again.. I will be putting your blog on my site so i can see when you make a new post..
Have a great weekend..
Well what odd weather! We've had shocking rainstorms but no hail and no flooding, thank God!
ReplyDeleteInteresting details provided about hail storms. They are devastating to fruit crops around here even if they are quite small.
ReplyDeleteYes, the hotter we get the more chances of hail and tornadoes. That large stuff is scary.
ReplyDeletehmmm - not sure who's counts as bigger but I bet they both needed new roofs!
ReplyDeleteOh my! That's some big hail! I hope it didn't damage anything, like your new car.
ReplyDeleteI can't even imagine what that would look like being a California girl.
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