Saturday, June 20: Drive from Minnesota to Rapid City, South Dakota. Giant hail storm! We park under a tree because there is no cover around except a lone gas station that was already packed with cars and trucks seeking cover. We ended up with dents all over the pickup truck! Thank goodness it was a rental car! We had hail the size of golf balls! We continue driving and hit another hail storm! It was a complete white out. We couldn’t even see the car, break lights or road directly in front of us. We pull over to the side of road. It was terrifying hoping no one would read end us or that we would crash the car. We sat and waiting through the insanely strong wind, hail, and rain. Both Cole and I thought we were caught in a tornado! It was one of the scariest moments of my life. We were seriously terrified but both of us acted calm for the kids. Finally, after the storm passes, we stop just outside Vivian, South Dakota. I later read that Vivian also happens to be the location of largest hail every recorded in history. We finally arrive in Rapid City, check in to the hotel and everyone sleeps well! It was one of the most terrifying and craziest days of my life.
Photos of the second hailstorm we went through but only after it passed. When we were in the thick of it, I’d say it was one of the most terrifying storms I have ever experienced in my life. We couldn’t see anything out the windows and the pcik up truck started to slide on the road. I was preparing for the windows to break and the truck to flip over! Any meteorologists out there that can tell me what it was?
