I've never experienced a tornado.
And after what I witnessed last night outside our Primos office, I'm pretty sure I don't want to, I got a glimpse of what it must be like.
You sort of got the feeling as the early summer heat built during the day how this was going to end. Mother Nature didn't disappoint.
The sky turned an angry gray, in some places almost black. The winds kicked up. The rain arrived. Then all hell broke loose.
Trees - those that weren't toppled - were bent horizontally, under full attack by the ferocious winds.
Instead of leaving the office when I normally do, I retreated back into the office, which luckily never lost power.
We were among the lucky ones.
Much of Delaware County and the region was not as lucky.
Social media started to light up with reports of problems. I-95 in Chester was shut down. A tree had blocked the southbound Route 1 Bypass between the Blue Route and Route 252. Flash flooding was a problem in Chester.
There were reports of 70 mph winds at Philadelphia International Airport.
Eventually, around 7 p.m. I decided to venture out and head home, already aware that power was out at Chez Heron.
That's when the adventure really started.
Driving last night was a bit like maneuvering a slalom course. Everywhere you turned there were downed trees and branches. I was good until I got to Springfield Road just above the Brookside intersection. The road was blocked by a downed tree. A quick detour through a neighborhood - where many residents were already outside holding their hands to their foreheads as they surveyed the damage - finally got me around the downed tree.
Since the Bypass was shut down, I decided to use my winter route, taking Springfield Road all the way out to Route 3. Many neighborhoods were without power, every other traffic light was out.
A big problem was the very busy intersection of Springfield Road and Route 1, where the lights were out. Cars inches out into the intersection as drivers took turns - for the most part - proceeding.
The rest of the way home was the same. Roads were closed all over the place by downed trees.
When I got home, since there was no power, I decided to survey the damage. We lost one large tree in the back yard. Luckily, it fell away from the house and across the creek that runs behind our yard.
We got power back around 2 a.m.
The drive back into the office this morning was equally wild.
Tree limbs continue to litter streets.
The big thing I noticed was the power outages. Granite Run - which already resembles a ghost town - was pitch black.
Springfield obviously was hard hit. Many neighborhoods were still without power. Traffic lights were out on Baltimore Pike in Middletown, and then again in Springfield.
This morning, PECO is reporting 159,000 customers still without power at 5 a.m. In Delco, the number in the dark is 88,000.
SEPTA was hit hard by the storm. Service on the busy Media-Elwyn regional rail line is suspended until further notice. Many bus lines are being rerouted.
There are still delays being reported at Philadelphia International Airport.
CLICK HERE for an update on PECO outages.
CLICK HERE for an update on SEPTA delays and problems.
CLICK HERE for the latest Traffic Conditions across the region.
CLICK HERE for information on Philadelphia International Airport
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