Yesterday, January 22nd of 2017, Florida was placed under its first ever High Risk for severe weather. A tornado outbreak was forecasted, with several strong tornadoes expected.

This large of a severe weather outbreak is basically unheard of in the Florida peninsula, especially without a hurricane present. It was also the first High Risk anywhere in the United States in almost three years…since the spring of 2014.

Can you believe we are starting our 4th week of 2017 already? With that, the United States is already beginning to experience it’s first severe weather event of 2017….

As of 6:00 am 1/21/2017…An enchanced risk for severe weather has been outlined by the Storm Prediciton Center for portions of Southern Alabama, western Florida, and as well as a second area in northern Mississippi and southeast Arkansas.

Welcome to the future! Our entire lives are now on a 4.2″ LCD screen that is always in our hands or our pockets…or both at the same damn time.

There is no need to look anywhere else than on these screens, as everything you will ever need for your entire life is displayed on them. (like this post?)

Smartphones are great, and nearly vital to existing in western civilization today.  However, it seems most people are not using them correctly.

Like many late 1990s kids, I was raised by the television. I spent a large portion of my time rotting in front of the TV for the value of being ‘entertained.’

Entertained. Instead of actually taking action in your own life, no matter how big or small, it is easier to be ‘entertained.’

Forget learning about life and the new world I was growing up in, it was easier to sit in front of this flashy TV device.  This magic box would keep me “entertained” and teach me everything I needed to know about the world.

The eye of a hurricane is an area of completely calm conditions, which is surrounded by the strongest winds of the hurricane.  In many cases, you are able to look up through the eye and see blue sky for several minutes, or even an hour. After the eye passes, severe winds and extreme rain instantly resume.

Strong Tropical Storm Hermine is less than 12 hours from making landfall in the Florida Big Bend region.

Hermine currently has sustained winds of 65mph. Hermine is currently expected to become a Hurricane prior to making landfall in Florida.

Storm Surge of 4 to 7 feet is expected along the Big Bend region, including the community of Cedar Key and other surrounding areas. This will likely cause a major inundation of water for the entire island.

A Hurricane Watch has been issued for portions of the Florida Gulf Coast.

The Hurricane Watch includes coastal areas extending from Apalachicola to Tarpon Springs.

The majority of the area included is known as the “Big Bend” region of Florida, but the watch extends further south as well, just north of the Tampa area.

There is currently no hurricane or even a tropical storm in existence. However, the National Hurricane Center is forecasting the further strengthening of Tropical Depression 9 into a Tropical Storm overnight.

Rainbow Springs is located just over an hour south of Gainesville Florida, or just to the west of Ocala.  It was the first stamp I received in the Florida Passport book. Only 174 more to go!  This park had a walk up entrance counter as opposed to the normal drive up gates, and as I was walking up, I nearly pissed my pants.

Storm Chasing is primarily a game of being in the right place at the right time, as is most of life.

June 12^th, 2013 was one of those days that seemed as if being in the big red highlighted circle was all that would be required to see a good storm. The Storm Prediction Center had Northern Illinois and Northwest Indiana highlighted with a moderate risk for severe weather.  The expectation for the day was believed to be an evolving squall line of damaging wind that would trek across the area after the initial supercells had merged together.

The most seemingly mundane of days can wind up exhilarating and terrifying thanks to a few minor events.  Late in the morning the spare tire replaced from the previous day’s incident, Connor and I were headed back east towards the Big Spring, Texas area, located about one hour south of Lubbock.