In the dark

Sometimes I hate satellite television -- the latest being the early morning hours of Tuesday. Nothing like the sirens blaring around midnight and, all of sudden, communication almost goes dark .

When the rain and hail cut loose around 12:05 a.m., so did the television. My Dish Network went down. Yes, $70 a month to leave you in your rare time of need. It was down for an hour.

So I have two radios on, and watching radar on the computer. Meanwhile, it's unleashing torrents of rain to the sound of sirens. The wife and one son went next door to our neighbors, who have a cellar. I was pretty sure most of the "cone of danger" -- as one TV weatherman has been known to say -- was off more toward the east and north, so the dog and I stayed put, though I did make some extra space in one closet if we had to dive in there. Plus 10's a crowd in the cellar, I always say.

Now had I started hearing a roar, it would have looked like Usain Bolt heading to the Hunters backyard.

While the tornadoes never really materialized, the rain sure did. We had about 3.25 inches and it was the might Paramount Park River in the wee hours. Water was above your knees. Another son couldn't get home because of the rising tides so he parked about six blocks away and waded to the house.

And, hey, the the satellite was up and running just after 1 a.m. when most of it was over. What's the number for Suddenlink?