Windy Day

as reported by M. M. Tirion

I went for a walk without checking the weather. Reaching Regan Rd I could hardly go on, the wind was so strong. The meltdown created a pond that looked like a raging ocean to me, as the video at the bottom of this page shows. I wondered how strong a wind would need to be, to make me airborne (a quick Google search later revealed that a 100 lb person will be lifted off the ground by winds of 40 mph. I am heavier than that, but the scaling isn’t linear, and what’s more the weather channel warned we should expect wind gusts of up to 55 mph). Hanging on to a post on Rte 11 as pebbles, grit and twigs struck, I marveled at the power of nature. Since 1987 when I moved to North Country, I had not experienced such fierce winds except on the high peaks, and considered that we’re entering a new weather-era. The work being done by Potsdam’s Climate Smart Community suddenly became more pertinent. This group meets monthly to report on efforts and progress to reduce Potsdam’s carbon footprint, while supporting soil conservation, air quality, as well as the hardships these efforts may create for our community. Anyone can join: https://www.potsdamny.us/community/climate-smart-community.html