IMG: Operation "Storm in the Desert"

Palm Springs.  Ah, yes.  Gently swaying palm trees, warm desert breezes.
Well, not always. Shortly after our arrival, the vast Pacific storm that had been dumping on Los Angeles decided to move east. Most of the moisture got squeezed out as the clouds moved over the intervening mountains. 
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/palmsprings/L1002624-prf.jpg.html
But the energy remained. It came roaring down the mountainsides, and hit the valley about 45 minutes after the Super Bowl started. 

Branches started falling off the palm trees
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/palmsprings/L1002625-prf.jpg.html
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/palmsprings/L1002632-prf.jpg.html
We took advantage of a lull to get to the safety of our hotel, a few blocks away. Then it really started to blow again, with the winds reversing several times. The top gusts were just under about 70 mph (113 kph). 
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/palmsprings/L1002637-prf.jpg.html
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/palmsprings/L1002642-prf.jpg.html

And debris really started to fly around:
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/palmsprings/L1002643-prf.jpg.html
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/pklein/palmsprings/L1002644-prf.jpg.html
The power went out, with no rhyme or reason to it. Some blocks had electricity, some didn't. There were a lot of ticked-off football fans trying to find a bar with a working TV between gusts. I have no record of these, as I was not going to risk getting bopped upside the head by an errant palm tree.
This same storm moved across the country, joined up with some moisture from Mexico, and caused the horrible tornados that caused so much grief in Missouri and Tennessee on "Super Tuesday" primary election day. 

M8, 35 and 50mm Summicrons. This is your roving reporter, reporting.
--Peter


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