Friday’s rainbow arched over The People’s Defender Office. (Photo by Sarah Niswander)
“From rainbows to wreckage”
This billboard along Rte. 41 south of West Union stood no more after falling to the March 3 high winds. (Photo by Amber Dryden Grooms)
In Manchester, a new carport was toppled, landing on top of a parked vehicle. (Photo by Steve and Christine Henderson)
The Senior Citizens Council in West Union will be replacing their sign after it was blown over by the high winds. (Photo by Mary Stout)
The outdoor possessions of many Adams Countians were at the mercy of last Friday’s high winds, as shown here at the Rogers home in Winchester. (Photo by Dennis Rogers)
Many trees were uprooted in Friday’s storm, including this one on Wheat Ridge Road. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)
By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 3, Peggy Niswander sent her co-workers spotted a stunning photo of a rainbow, arched over the People’s Defender offices, which her daughter had taken moments earlier. After the usual wows and awes coupled with the casual banter of this motley crew, the texting ceased.
This reporter took her dogs for their evening walk nearly two hours later. The sun peeped through the clouds as if it were redeeming itself for an otherwise wet and dreary day.
Settling the dogs inside and readying myself for a quiet evening is when the lights went out in West Union – at least in my neck of the woods. There was no warning and presumably no wind – until there was. And when there was – it came fast and furious, sending my fur babies into hysteria.
Instinctively I grabbed my phone and instantly realized I no longer had service or internet. A couple of messages had come from Amber Grooms moments before warning of “bad, bad winds” and “uprooted trees.” Mark Carpenter followed with “chasing things around in my yard,” Niswander was injured during a garbage can incident at the office. Terry Rigdon, seemingly, remained unscathed.
Realizing we’d been duped on March 1 by Wednesday’s amazingly mild temperatures and clear skies, I remembered the adage about March, “Comes in like a lion.”
The following day showed no reprieve as I woke to a cold house with no easy way to make coffee save a campfire which wasn’t happening. I took a cold shower, dressed in the dark, left on my mascara from the day before (please don’t judge me), and headed to town to get messages and make my way to a Saturday appointment.
Oh, the sweet sound of communication with the outside world took effect about halfway to West Union. Texts started rolling in, reporting the damages from the storm. I searched the Adams County Rural Electric site for answers and outages – oy vey.
I was on a mission to get my morning coffee, and my disappointment mounted when McDonald’s windows were dark and unwelcoming. I looked to the right and saw an empty Walmart parking lot. Further down the road, the Wendy’s line was into the street, so filling up with gas became my priority. Still, long lines and only two stations open in town meant a wait. Then, back to Wendy’s as my head screamed for caffeine, and they had the morning monopoly on “drive-thru” coffee. An hour and a half later, with coffee in hand (yes, I was in line that long), I confirmed my appointment and drove to Peebles.
Later I sat at home by the fire, thanking God for wood and propane starting fireplaces. It was still dark, shadowy, and a bit chilly, but I realized we’d been lucky. Some folks lost more than power and internet Friday night. I’m hoping and praying that no one’s loss was devastating.
Friday went from rainbows to wreckage within hours, and winds wreaked havoc on Adams Countians. As I write, electric companies and lineworkers are tirelessly laboring to restore normality to our lives. How quickly things can change hits home – “easy come, easy go – anyway the wind blows.”
