Tornado at Night

This picture of a tornado (water spout) and lightning strike over Lake Okeechobee was taken at about 10 PM on June 15, 1991. ( or 1993, depending on source ) The photograph was taken by Mr. Fred Smith. Photo and links courtesy of Fishindog.com and Todd over at Dangerous Liberty ( link in title bar ).

The photograph’s authenticity was in question; however, it has been validated by a visit to Snopes/Urban Legends. This was worth sharing, a one in a million shot.
http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/sedalia.asp

In August 1983 Hurricane Alicia passed through our old neighborhood; the same house that my daughter Jennifer now lives in, and spawned a tornado that passed directly over us. We were very fortunate in that it jumped our house, enough so that it only took a couple of shingles from our roof. I heard the ferocious roar of the winds, sometime referred to as the sound of a locomotive; although I would say that was too easy an assessment, more like the air trying to tear itself apart at full volume.

The tornado did strike the neighborhood behind us; partially tearing the roof off a friend’s house only to set it back down; well, almost intact. I went over with a group of fellows from church to do an emergency roof repair. Unfortunately the damage to the inside of the house was already done, water had poured down inside the walls and ruined most everything.