[halloweenjon]

In Phoenix we have what's known as a "monsoon season", lasting from July till the end of September, during which thunderstorms and blowing dust are fairly common. This year has been a particularly active monsoon season and we had a giant, destructive thunderstorm in early October which took down one of my big trees. It's made planning for outdoor decorations kind of tricky...

Looking at a 100% sunny 5-day forecast this weekend I figured it was safe to finally construct the facade for my garage haunt, which is quite large and leans against the house reinforced only by some picture hanging wire. It also includes other hanging components which are plenty secure enough for moderate winds but not much else. You know where this is going....

Yesterday afternoon after a long and hot day of work my friend and I beheld a beautiful haunted house facade, when I noticed the sky turning an eerie color. I checked the weather forecast again - nothing but sunny skies. My friend leaves, and not half an hour later, I'm outside putting on some finishing touches and I hear a boom of thunder. Moments later, the typhoon hit. My faux circus tent wall was the first to go, immediately freeing itself from the duct tape and cinder blocks holding it to the ground and flapping like a broken sail, clinging to a single remaining screw to the house. The wood and posterboard sign for my haunt snapped one of its wires and started banging against the side of the house, peeling and tearing off the frame. The giant entryway facade repeatedly tried to fall away, would get snapped back by the wire, and slam back against the house breaking several lightbulbs. It was apocalyptic.

I won't bore everyone with the details of how I mitigated the destruction down from "catastrophic" to "mostly repairable", but it was not a fun night.

There was absolutely no warning for this storm. I was obsessively checking my weather apps all month to make sure something like this wouldn't happen, and it still did.

(TL;DR: A thunderstorm that came out of nowhere nearly destroyed the entire front of my haunted house. I did not like it.)

Anyone else have any crazy stories about mother nature laying waste to your plans? The weather in Phoenix in October is usually nice and mild. I'm sure folks in other parts of the country have much worse to contend with.

 

[Countess No]

That really blows. The weather is our ultimate enemy.

I obsess about the weather and check it alot, too. I have had the surprise weather attack and have gotten to be an expert at tearing down my haunt and throwing it into my garage in minutes to save it from being murdered by the weather. I hate leaving home for extended periods of time when my stuff is out for this very reason. I am setting up some stuff today, but won't put the bulk out until 2 days before halloween.

We had a windstorm that came out of no where one halloween, My husband was gone and I lay in bed listening to the wind get worser and worser, almost having a heart attack from the sounds and knowing my stuff was outside and helpless.

After hearing glass shatter, I ran outside in my nightgown and frantically take everything down. I bet I looked looney as all he$$. It was a nightmare.

The wind was so bad we lost power for over 24 hours and our local police station had the roof ripped off.

One of my giant spiders rolled down the street , and I had to chase him down and capture him.

Haunting: great when it is good, terrible when it is bad.

 

[Ghost of Spookie]

Really sorry to hear about how the weather messed with you. There can't be anything more almost defeating than to spend hours setting up to have it demolished in such a short time and before your event. You deserve a pat on the back for hanging in there and doing your best to ressurrect all your hard work. At least halloween is suppose to look spooky and many times has themes that are haunted, decreped, destroyed, abandoned, etc. so any damaged or ripped up parts could fit in. I hope you and the kids have a nice dry halloween and no more wind bursts.

 

[Erich]

good thing in california we've never angered the weather gods at least I can't remember it ever raining on halloween