This article was originally published on March 24, 2017
by Trent Rosser
As usual, the wind was blowing pretty hard this past Thursday. You would think by now that we should be use to the wind, but we are not. I have lived in this area most of my life and one thing I have bragged about this area is the weather. We have all heard the saying, “Don’t like the weather? Stick around for about 5 minutes, it will change!” I have actually seen it rain mud. Seen it rain in the front yard and get nothing in the back yard. I have seen the sun out and it be snowing. But I have never gotten use this dang wind. I am starting to think that the movie “Wizard of Oz” was based on a true story and the house was from here not Kansas. Chicago is considered the windy city, but it does not even make the top ten list of the windiest cities in America (according to the Weather Channel website). Can you guess who is in the number 1 spot on that list? That is right. Amarillo, Texas, with an average wind speed of 13.6 mph. It sure seems to blow more like 60 mph, everyday of every month!
When the wind blows in this area, everyone suffers. The allergies kick into high gear and people cannot breath. If you go outside, all you see is dirt blowing around. It looks like a scene from the “Great Depression” era and the dust bowls coming to cover everything in dirt. If you try to stay inside, the dirt and wind will find every crack and crevice in your home and everything will be covered in dirt, and you allergies will still be in jeopardy. I remember years ago when I worked at a tire shop for over the road trucks. After a couple of weeks the dirt on the concrete floor would be thick, so instead of grabbing a broom and stirring up a lot of dust, we would just open the bay doors on the north side and the south side and let the dirt blow on out! Of course we would pick up the trash before we did that.
I cannot remember when we had a “good” wind. You know, the kind that would cool you down on a hot and sweaty day. No, the wind here blows hot and it is more miserable. When the wind blows during the winter time, it is like a knife. It cuts you to the bone with the cold and frigid air. During the snow storms of the winter, the wind would cause snow drifts all the way up to the roofs of the houses. I remember as a kid we would walk to the roof off the house just by climbing the snow drifts.
There is one more thing that the wind has been causing havoc with. This is a very sensitive subject, considering what has happened to the Texas Panhandle this past month. Wildfires! Earlier this month we lost acres, livestock, homes, and even human lives due the wind creating dangerous conditions. The fires could have been easily contained, had it not been for the high winds that day. The winds of the panhandle gave fuel to the fires that destroyed many lives. America is coming together to help the farmers and ranchers of the panhandle by bringing supplies and bales of hay. It has been posted all over the internet with donations coming in from across the country. The local and volunteer fire fighters during this crisis served with honor and made the panhandle proud. The fire fighters not only fight the fire, they fight many different elements that we would not be able to do. They do it with heavy equipment strapped to them. Can you imagine being in the heat of day with a heavy coat on and the wind blowing up to 40 and 50 mph and carrying all that equipment? They did and they did it without complaints. The firefighters fought valiantly and with pride. The Texas panhandle communities are very proud of each and every one of the firefighters. We thank you!
Yes, I understand that we need wind. We need wind to pollinate the ground with seeds. We use the wind and convert it into energy. They use wind on the sea to power the boats before engines and some still do with sailboats. But last time I checked, there were not very many sailboats here in the panhandle. Also, I am not a violent man, but the next person that asks me, “Is it windy enough for ya?” is going to get kicked in the shin! So in the meantime I will put my head down, hold my hat against my head and nail down everything in the backyard and then try to chase down the neighbors yapping 2 pound Chihuahua. I just saw it fly past the window.
Hmm, maybe the wind is good for something else.
Rosser/Provided