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All Images Copyright Terry Pallister
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| Action began in the early afternoon. The storm first developed to the WSW and I got the first shot above facing toward the Seabrook Bridge at 12:30 pm. It was a close one, just 0.6 miles away. The storm drifted ENE over me and there were a number of close strikes. A few of them struck the airfield. The remaining 5 shots above occurred between 12:41 and 12:49 pm. These were 0.6 to 1.2 miles from me. |
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| After falling asleep on the couch earlier I awoke at 4 am and decided to take the dogs out for a moment before going back to sleep. When I opened the door I saw lightning in the distance toward the NE. It is very unusual for storms to occur at this odd hour of the day. So, I came out across the airfield and set up. I was late and didn't get much. The second 2 images above are from the same strike sequence with 2 different connections to the water. These occurred between 4:30 and 4:35 am and were about 6 miles away to the NE. |
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| After the first storm finally completely died out some new action began to look like it might do something. So, I came back to the balcony to shoot toward the east. The storm was to the SE and I had to wait for it to move to the E of me before I could get anything. It was quite far away and the first early morning light was breaking through the overcast. I only got 2 shots okay between 6:09 and 6:20 am. They were about 9 miles away. |
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| This storm was
the first of 6 storms in 3 weeks where I ended up in danger, the last 3
of which occurred on the night of September 1. The intense heat of
the summer was the cause of some very unusual storm development that one
rarely sees here in New Orleans. The negative effect for my area
of Lake Pontchartrain to the north, Lake Borgne (pronounced born) to the
ENE, and the nearby coastal waters and swamps to the E and ESE is to substantially
weaken or destroy approaching storms, or to prevent storms from developing
when clouds approach from between W, NW, N, NE, E, and ESE. But the
intense heat of this summer was to over come the negative effects of these
waters several times, and was to lead to some very strong storm development.
Here is how it all happened on this day. About 4:30 pm I could see dark skies well off to the NNE. Radar showed cells moving generally to the south. Lightning was far off and low in the sky, so I decided to go to the other end of the airfield to shoot without the aircraft hangers being in the way. At first all went well. As I was setting up to try to shoot over Lake Pontchartrain to the NE a bolt struck not too far off to the ESE in a developing cell in that direction. So, I aimed Camcorder 2 toward Bally's Casino boat and got the first terrific shot for Camcorder 2 of a bolt hitting just 1.6 miles away at 4:46 pm. That was to be the only bolt from that cell. Camcorder 1 was set up to get the lightning that was striking out in the lake to the NE 6 to 8 miles away. The lightning got very active and I got the 13 shots for Camcorder 1 above between 4:47 and 5:01 pm. I was a little bit overexposed. This happened because 2 days earlier on August 8 I had set the exposure in my normal fashion, but the bolts came out looking too dark and artificial. So, I set the exposure one step brighter. The shots still look reasonably good. I finally repositioned Camcorder 2 to shoot toward the ENE to the right of Camcorder 1. A few bolts were striking about 4 miles away as new storm development was occurring there. I got the last 3 shots for Camcorder 2 above between 4:56 and 5:05 pm. |
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| Between 5:05 and 5:14 pm things began to change very quickly. To the east skies were showing signs of impressive development. Low clouds began rushing toward me. I aimed both camcorders toward the E and ESE. Only a few strikes occurred before the rains and wind moved in. One was a 4 bolt burst of lightning striking 2.4 to 4 miles away. The second 2 shots from Camcorder 1 and the last shot from Camcorder 2 above are of these 4 bolts. I had hoped for more neat lightning like this before the storm rushed over me. |
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| A little after 5:15 pm the winds and rain moved in as the cell went severe. I was set up at the single story FAA building and could move back away from the rain as it blew in. I waited in the inset to the main door. Lightning was no longer visible because of the heavy rain. I could hear the thunder getting closer as the lightning strikes drifted toward my location. I wisely put Camcorder 1 inside the front door. I began shooting Camcorder 2 toward the only angle I could...straight out in front. From 5:28 to 5:31 pm I was able to get the first 4 bolts above as the strikes came within 0.5 to 0.9 miles of me. For 25 to 30 minutes bolts struck all around and very close. Being almost at ground level made me more and more nervous. I left Camcorder 2 to run and hid inside. Then, at 5:39 and 5:41 2 bolts struck just about 50 feet from the camcorder to the right. They were so close that the freeze frames showed a very unusual sight with raindrops suspended and looking like snowflakes or small hail. See the last 2 shots above. One of these 2 bolts struck the electronic car gate system on the side of the building and knocked it out of commission. The tape ran out on the camcorder. I ran out, grabbed it, and ran back inside. It wasn't until 6 pm that I dared to venture back out. This was much too dangerous for anyone. I will always wonder how many better shots I might have gotten if I had been up on the balcony where I don't really have to fear lightning all that much. |
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| After the storm
drifted far enough on past me by 6 pm, I came out and moved around to the
side of the FAA building to face toward downtown New Orleans to the SW
and to the left of that toward Chalmette to the SE. Lightning was
much less frequent by now and very scattered in direction. I got
the first 2 shots for Camcorder 2 above at 6:06 and 6:09, 8+ miles
away and beyond downtown. Camcorder 1 got a nice shot about 6 miles
off toward Chalmette at 6:16. I tried for some daylight anvil crawlers.
Camcorder 2 got one decent one at 6:21. Camcorder 2 got one final
cg at 6:27. At 6:29 Camcorder 1 got part of lightning coming up off
one of the radio towers in Chalmette. This was the first time I ever
got any tower lightning here in New Orleans. This is where lightning
shoots up into the sky from the top of a tower (or other very tall object).
I didn't realize what I had gotten until I looked at the tape at home later.
The last 3 shots above are from a very nice crawler at 6:39 pm.
What a day!!! |