Storm at the Zoo

Vaughn McMillan

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Friday after work I went the the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo to attend another Friday night Summer Concert Series event. Instead, I got treated to Cat 1 hurricane force winds (peaked at 89 MPH), torrents of rain, and chunks of falling cottonwood trees. Here's a very short video I posted on YouTube, shot not long after the storm started...check out the comments, too. ;) (I've got my DVR set to record Good Morning America.)

http://youtu.be/o5NbtPLRi8A

Here's another one shot by someone else and posted on Facebook. (Sorry, but I think a Facebook account is needed to see it.) This one shows the area where the audience was sitting right up until until the storm hit:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=526368700749801

As you might have suspected, the concert was canceled. The zoo will be closed Saturday for repairs and cleanup. Much of the city was hammered by this storm. There are broken branches and debris all over this part of town, but nothing quite as bad as what I saw at the zoo.
 
Wild storm there.

I had a BBQ contest I did quite a few years back that was like that. Luckily we had some warning and some rope, so our canopy got tied down to our trailer with the smoker and my buddy's truck. Had about 300 lbs of meat and myself on one of the open corners and the same with my buddy on the other. We fared well, but had some friends up the hill that had a little 10' x 10' tied to their smoker and coolers and held on. All but one of the 4 guys was 250 lbs or larger, and all, including the smoker and coolers got lifted about 3' off the ground and tossed.
 
Just got email from the meteorologist at Good Morning America. They used the video on today's show. Woot! I recorded it on DVR, so now I'm gonna try to find it. :D

I've also been asked by The Weather Channel and WeatherNation for permission to broadcast the video. I told them both yes. :yes:
 
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