Re: T-storms in DV
Posted by Rob Nelson on August 17, 2004 at 02:58:45:
In Reply to: T-storms in DV posted by Cactus Jack on August 16, 2004 at 21:46:13:
I was caught in all that yesterday (Sunday, that is). I guess I was just up the road from where those two people were killed.
I was by the entrance sign on 190. I kept getting turned around by the storm (once in Nevada, then on 190, then on 178) and tried to go up 190 the other direction to 127. I got past the Info Center, but then was turned around by all those dips that turned now into little rivers. I decided to turn back to the Info Center to take shelter in the bathroom there (I was in a jeep, so it's not exactly waterproof), but by the time I turned around, the road had turned into a river, and I had to hide behind that big "Welcome to Death Valley" sign, as the road turned into a big river, even though I was there just 3-4 minutes earlier.
I eventually had to abandon my jeep and climb a hill across the way, but didn't want to because there was way too much lightning, and was concerned about moving upwards. But, I had to, because if I didn't do it right then, I wouldn't be able to get across the way after another couple minutes, and it looked like my jeep might just very well get washed away with the building current.
So, I sat in the rain for quite some time waiting for CHP, Cal-Trans, anybody to come by, which never happened.
The water kept getting closer and closer to my jeep, and I barely made it across the street to get to higher land.
Luckily, the storm subsided after some time, and I finally made it out, but not before passing a number of people broken down, and the damaged roads -- I felt very lucky to get out. I would have never made it except I had a 4x4.
Oddly enough, no one I passed wanted help -- they all wanted to make it down to the hotel, even though I (and other people) told them it looked pretty much hopeless.
Well, I felt it was quite an adventure until I found out two people were killed.
Now, I don't know what to think, but I thought you guys might be interested in hearing but just one scary story from the other night!
Rob