To our north massive 4.5 inch hail fell in Lone Grove, Oklahoma knocking out car windows. This is the same community impacted by a massive tornado in February 2009.  A preliminary list of weather reports is offered by the local NWS office here: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd/lsrmap.php

I was able to capture some lightning photos out of the back yard during one of the more active lightning storms we had. Galleries here.

Another round of severe weather is expected Monday in the metroplex. The dryline will act as a focus for severe development again, with best timing for thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Just like Sunday, these storms will congeal into a large storm complex and move eastward during the evening. The highest risk for severe will be large hail and high winds, but a tornado or two will remain possible. Wind shearing will be more favorable for supercell development on Monday, versus today’s storms.

Severe storms are still in the forecast for Tuesday across the metroplex as well. Tuesday may be the last day of thunderstorms for the week in the metroplex and north Texas.

The first storm, tornado warned and intercepted west of Channing TX was very much a high precipitation supercell. This had a persistent but non rotating wall cloud for at least 15 minutes.  Shortly after the storm inflow was contaminated by cold outflow of a neighboring  thunderstorm and became a very high precipitation mess. The below images show a before, during, and after shot of the storm.

Taken at Latitude/Longitude:35.686146/-102.343181. 1.21 km West Channing Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_35.686146_-102.343181.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 17:19Canon Canon PowerShot SD10, 3.5, 8.462mm, 0.003 sec, ISO 80

25-May-2010 17:37PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D, 5.0, 20.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 100

Taken at Latitude/Longitude:35.685879/-102.361995. 2.88 km West Channing Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_35.685879_-102.361995.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 17:47PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 4.5, 43.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 400

This storm no longer looked very favorable for redevelopment, thankfully a new tornado warned storm had just popped about 85 miles south near Dimmitt, TX. The storms were still moving slow around 20 kts, so I was able to jump on US-385 and blast southward to Dimmitt just as the storm was moving in. The storm appeared to maintain its strength and rotation according to radar for the hour and 15 minutes it took to get down to Dimmitt. Once I emerged through the rain core and encountered only sporadic pea sized hail, I was greeted with this monstrosity of a wall cloud!

Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.601792/-102.312530. 5.66 km North Dimmitt Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.601792_-102.312530.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 19:24PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 4.5, 18.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 100

Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.601792/-102.312529. 5.66 km North Dimmitt Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.601792_-102.312529.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 19:25PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 200

Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.601798/-102.312541. 5.66 km North Dimmitt Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.601798_-102.312541.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 19:28PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 5.6, 55.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 160

Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.601801/-102.312557. 5.66 km North Dimmitt Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.601801_-102.312557.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 19:29PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 4.0, 18.0mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 100

Now I have only had the opportunity to do a couple of storm chases with my limited time living in tornado alley and this was my first experience seeing a low precipitation (LP) supercell. This was an incredibly beautiful LP storm and a slow mover at that. The sirens were sounding in Dimmitt intermittently, but otherwise it was very quiet and the winds were moving about 15-20mph into the storm.

The storm continued evolving but remained a LP supercell passing just a mile north of Dimmitt. For about 30 seconds, the storm appeared to kick up a lot of dust. Reviewing still images it looked like a brief microburst. However after reviewing some of the HD video I captured it may have been a very brief tornado without a condensation funnel! There was some very vigorous rotation in the cloud base for about 30 seconds just prior to the dust being pulled up into the air.

Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.570253/-102.313780. 2.16 km North Dimmitt Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.570253_-102.313780.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 19:37PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 4.0, 21.0mm, 0.025 sec, ISO 100	Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.549768/-102.292876. 1.74 km East Dimmitt Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.549768_-102.292876.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 19:54PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 4.5, 43.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 200	Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.542673/-102.213189. 8.47 km North Roy Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.542673_-102.213189.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 20:12PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 6.3, 55.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 100
Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.542673/-102.213186. 8.47 km North Roy Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.542673_-102.213186.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 20:12PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 5.6, 18.0mm, 0.01 sec, ISO 100

As the sun set, the storm retained it’s overall LP form but didn’t give me any confidence in it’s ability to produce a tornado despite it’s radar observed rotation. It did however give me a few more incredibly beautiful photographs.

Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.542704/-102.213173. 8.48 km North Roy Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.542704_-102.213173.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 20:24PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D , 4.0, 31.0mm, 0.02 sec, ISO 320

Taken at Latitude/Longitude:34.529765/-101.964616. 4.07 km West Lakeview Texas United States <a href="http://www.geonames.org/maps/google_34.529765_-101.964616.html"> (Map link)</a>25-May-2010 20:45Canon Canon PowerShot SD10, 2.8, 5.8mm, 0.077 sec, ISO 200

25-May-2010 20:13PENTAX Corporation PENTAX K10D, 4.5, 18.0mm, 0.017 sec, ISO 100

This was the end of the chase day for me as the sun set and the atmospheric instability yielded to a temperature inversion. I headed back to my hotel in Amarillo for the night, to prepare for sight seeing the next day.

View the complete photo galleries here!

NEW as of 10/22/11: View the complete video compilation of this chase below…

To:       subscribers:  NWS partners…users and employees

Subject:  National change in minimum hail size criterion
for issuing Severe Thunderstorm Warning /svr/
and severe weather statement /svs/ products
effective January 5 2010

Effective Tuesday January 5 2010 at 0001 coordinated Universal time
/UTC/…all NWS weather forecast offices /wfos/ will operationally
change the minimum hail size criterion used to issue Severe
Thunderstorm Warning /svr/ and severe weather statement /svs/
products from 3/4 inch /penny/ diameter or larger hail to 1 inch
/quarter/ diameter or larger hail.

No change is being made to the svr and svs product wind criterion
of wind gusts equal to or in excess of 50 knots /58 mph/.

A public information statement /pns/ soliciting comments regarding
this change was issued September 23 2009 /use lowercase/:

http://www.Weather.Gov/os/notification/pns09_1_inch_hail.Txt

NWS received 63 comments in response to the pns…54 of which /86
percent/ supported this change. A web Page will be created to
address all comments since some comments indicated a need for
additional outreach. This web Page will be available by December 15
2009 and will be publicized via another pns.

NWS reviewed all comments before deciding to change minimum hail
size criterion for svr and svs products.

Central and western region wfos currently issue svr and svs
products experimentally using the 1 inch /quarter/ diameter or
larger hail size criterion /use lower case/:

http://www.NWS.NOAA.Gov/om/notification/scn09-19hail_change.Txt

and

http://www.NWS.NOAA.Gov/om/notification/scn09-36wr_hail_exp.Txt

These wfos will continue to issue 1 inch /quarter/ hail size
criterion products experimentally through January 4 2010. All NWS
wfos will adopt the new criterion operationally on January 5 2010.

For further information regarding this change please contact:

John T ferree
fire and public weather services branch
120 David l. Boren Blvd suite 2312
Norman OK 73072
John.T.Ferree@noaa.Gov

Or

mark Fox
warning and coordination meteorologist
National Weather Service Fort Worth Texas
3401 northern cross Blvd
Fort Worth Texas 76137
mark.Fox@noaa.Gov
National service change notices are online at /use lowercase/: http://weather.Gov/os/notif.Htm

COPIOUS MOISTURE FOR THE SYSTEM TO
WORK WITH. IN MY MEMORY…I HAVE NOT SEEN PWAT/S THIS
HIGH…ESPECIALLY IN FALL…WITHOUT SEEING THE OCCURRENCE OF
FLASH FLOODING. FEEL THAT THIS IS AN EVENT TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.

At this time we are in a 30% severe wind, 15% severe hail, and 2% tornado risk. The most likely time for these storms appears to be just before or around midnight. Thunderstorms are possible during the afternoon hours today as well, but the bulk of the severe activity is set around midnight… this is subject to change however.

Again flash flooding is a very likely possibility over the next 36 hours… flooding may be as bad or worse than any event we have seen since moving out to Texas a year ago.

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
1254 PM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
DENTON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS…

* UNTIL 200 PM CDT

* AT 1254 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING QUARTER SIZE HAIL…AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 9 MILES
WEST OF JUSTIN…AND MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR…
JUSTIN BY 105 PM
CORRAL CITY…NORTHLAKE…ROANOKE AND KRUM BY 110 PM
BARTONVILLE…ARGYLE AND SANGER BY 115 PM
COPPER CANYON AND DOUBLE OAK BY 120 PM

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

FOR YOUR PROTECTION MOVE TO A STURDY SHELTER UNTIL THE STORM HAS
PASSED.

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE…SEEK SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING AND
STAY INSIDE…AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 757
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1155 AM CDT TUE OCT 6 2009

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS TUESDAY MORNING AND EVENING FROM 1155 AM UNTIL 600
PM CDT.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 50
STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTH
NORTHWEST OF SAN ANGELO TEXAS TO 15 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF
PARIS TEXAS.  FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).

REMEMBER…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 756…

DISCUSSION…ELEVATED TSTM DEVELOPMENT /INCLUDING A SUPERCELL OR
TWO/ WILL CONTINUE WITHIN FEED OF MODERATE MUCAPE BEHIND SHALLOW
SURFACE COLD FRONT SAGGING SSEWD INTO CENTRAL TX THIS AFTERNOON.
GIVEN EFFECTIVE SHEAR AROUND 40-50 KT AND MODEST LAPSE
RATES…POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED LARGE HAIL AND PERHAPS A
STRONG/SEVERE WIND REPORT REMAINS WITH THE STRONGER CORES.

AVIATION…A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 25020.

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 752
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
350 PM CDT THU OCT 1 2009

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

SMALL PART OF SOUTHEAST OKLAHOMA
LARGE PART OF NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 350 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 85
STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 30 MILES NORTH
NORTHWEST OF PARIS TEXAS TO 20 MILES SOUTH OF TEMPLE TEXAS.  FOR
A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU2).

REMEMBER…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 751…

DISCUSSION…COLD FRONT MOVING SEWD INTO NRN TX ENCOUNTERING AN AIR
MASS THAT HAS BECOME MDTLY UNSTABLE.  WITH MLCAPES AOA 2000 J/KG AND
DEEP LAYER SHEAR OF 30-40 KT…SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP ALONG AND E OF COLD FRONT AS IT CONTINUES SEWD ACROSS THE
WATCH.

AVIATION…A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 27025.

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 743
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
430 PM CDT MON SEP 21 2009

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 430 PM UNTIL
1100 PM CDT.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 90
STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 50 MILES NORTH OF
DALLAS TEXAS TO 30 MILES SOUTHWEST OF STEPHENVILLE TEXAS.  FOR A
COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE
UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU3).

REMEMBER…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 742…

DISCUSSION…THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING ALONG THE DRYLINE FROM
JUST E OF SPS TO E OF ABI.  STRONG INSTABILITY AND EFFECTIVE BULK
SHEAR AROUND 30 KT WILL SUPPORT A FEW PERSISTENT MULTICELL
CLUSTERS…AS WELL AS STORMS WITH SOME SUPERCELL STRUCTURES.  LARGE
HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE THE MAIN THREATS.  LATER THIS
EVENING…STORM INTERACTIONS COULD LEAD TO UPSCALE GROWTH INTO MORE
OF A LINEAR MCS…WITH A CONTINUING THREAT FOR DAMAGING WINDS AND
LARGE HAIL.

AVIATION…A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 27025.

URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH NUMBER 664
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
325 PM CDT WED AUG 5 2009

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF

EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS

EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FROM 325 PM UNTIL
1000 PM CDT.

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER…THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 70
MPH…AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 65
STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 60 MILES NORTH
NORTHWEST OF FORT WORTH TEXAS TO 80 MILES EAST OF DALLAS TEXAS.
FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE ASSOCIATED WATCH
OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU4).

REMEMBER…A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY
DO PRODUCE TORNADOES.

DISCUSSION…PREVIOUSLY ELEVATED THUNDERSTORM OVER CENTRAL/ERN OK
HAVE BECOME SURFACE-BASED AS THEY MOVE GENERALLY SWD INTO A HOT AND
MOIST SURFACE ENVIRONMENT…WHERE SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE NEAR 100F
AND DEW POINTS ARE IN THE UPPER 60S-LOWER 70S.  THE STORMS APPEAR TO
HAVE DEVELOPED AN ORGANIZED COLD POOL WHICH IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD
SWD/SSWWD ACROSS THE RED RIVER INTO NRN TX DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL
HOURS.  THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL UPDRAFTS TO DEVELOP WWD
ALONG THE OUTFLOW BOUNDARY MOVING INTO EXTREME SOUTH CENTRAL
OKLAHOMA…WITH RESULTANT SWWD PROPAGATION TO THE CONVECTIVE SYSTEM.
DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND OCCASIONAL HAIL ARE LIKELY WITH THE SYSTEM.

AVIATION…A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT
TO 2 INCHES. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND GUSTS TO 60
KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM
MOTION VECTOR 34020.

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORT WORTH TX
202 PM CDT SUN JUL 19 2009

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FORT WORTH HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
EASTERN DENTON COUNTY IN NORTH CENTRAL TEXAS…

* UNTIL 300 PM CDT

* AT 202 PM CDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGISTS DETECTED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS
OF 60 MPH.  THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 3 MILES WEST OF CROSS ROADS…
AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR…
AUBREY BY 210 PM
KRUGERVILLE BY 220 PM
CROSS ROADS BY 235 PM
SHADY SHORES AND CORINTH BY 240 PM
LITTLE ELM…HACKBERRY…LAKE LEWISVILLE AND LAKE DALLAS BY 300 PM

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

IF YOU ARE CAUGHT OUTSIDE…SEEK SHELTER IN A STRONG BUILDING AND
STAY INSIDE…AWAY FROM WINDOWS UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.