Out of the Blue

I described the aftermath of the blackout here, but not the storm that caused it. Mid-afternoon on Wednesday I looked out the window to a scene out of the Wizard of Oz, with bits of tree debris and rain passing the house horizontally, literally parallel to the ground. With fascination I watched the shingles on a house across the street lift and peel off and blow away like playing cards in the wind. The commotion carried on for a while before the power went, and when the doggies and I walked around surveying the considerable damage (there were numerous large trees downed) several other locals agreed with my theory that we had been hit by a tornado. I wouldn't have even entertained that notion before we had a confirmed tornado in the area last summer (story), but none of the news reports after the storm gave any indication that a twister was involved, so who knows?

Stormy Links! Thanks Ant.
Stories: Shipwrecked treasure ship yields historic riches.
Ex Scoffs at Buttafuoco, Fisher's 'Train Wreck' Second Shot at Love.
Science!: Researchers challenge Kennedy lone gunman theory. Thanks Mike Martinez.
Women could avoid chemotherapy with hormone drug.
Media: Scrubs - Dr Toilet.
Follow-ups: Bible spared "indecent" classification.
Online Invitation to ‘Help Yourself’ Surprises the Stuff’s Owner (registration required).
Woman, son sentenced for faked retardation.