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Riding the storm out

Wednesday evening's Belleville Area Bicycling and Eating Society ride was cursed.

Just before the start of the ride in downtown O'Fallon, Ill., a freight train stopped and blocked the tracks, forcing us to take a two-mile detour to the Seven Hills Road overpass. We didn't know that at the time, but it was an omen of things to come.

As we turned north onto the Junior High Bicycle Trail in O'Fallon, we could see somewhat dark clouds to the north. When I got to the Simmons Road-Bethel School Road-Witte Road intersection, it was much darker.

By the time I got to the Witte Road-Lemen Settlement Road intersection, I knew trouble was brewing, so I turned straight back. As the ride leader, I knew I was going to have drive the course and make sure everyone got home safely.

Things got scarier when I got near the O'Fallon city limits. The city sounded the storm sirens and images of the April tornado that caused extensive damage in O'Fallon and Fairview Heights popped through my mind.

Fellow rider Glen Peterson also bailed out early, and we swept the course to make sure people got back to O'Fallon safely. Several big limbs fell on Bowler Road. Fortunately, the weather was holding out that the four riders I saw approaching the road could continue riding, so I warned them about the limbs.

One rider got hit by a small stick that fell on Bowler. She was rather fortunate it wasn't one of the big limbs.

Fortunately, everyone returned to O'Fallon safely.

As it turned out, more than 400,000 power customers in the St. Louis area lost electricity because of the storm. I'm one of the fortunate people who still have power, and I feel for the people who are without power today as temperatures are expected to hit 100 degrees. Let hope those people will be able to find cool shelter.

Roger 1 comments 10:47 AM

Comments:

Glad everyone is OK...that can be very scary to be out in the middle of that kind of storm.

# posted by  Bike : 4:34 PM

 

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