Nighttime Thunderstorms in the Woods

The sounds of the thunder, wind, rain, drops from trees are wondrous

With tornadic storms to the west, the sounds in the woods were amazing. You can listen to a recording of what it’s like to be in a tent, at night, 15 miles off the main highway, and under a severe thunderstorm warning.

Camping in a tent during a severe thunderstorm warning at night.

Last night was an awesome of the powers of nature. With my Great Pyrenees, Maycee, and I, alone in the deep woods of Upper Michigan, the RadarScope app was showing two tornadic supercells off to the west, largely headed in our direction.

For the last eight years, Maycee has been an indoor dog. One who barked when the rains came to our apartment in Mesquite, Texas. Add lightning and thunder and she’d flee to a closet or bathroom. At one point, she’d stick her head under my bed.

That does not happen any longer. No, after a month of tent camping in the deep woods of Upper Michigan, she actually wanted to sleep outside last night and I had to round her up to get into the tent!

Audio of the Storms Overhead

But oh my gosh, the sounds were amazing. The high winds in the leaves of the maple trees surrounding us. Claps of thunder that we could hear ripping through the atmosphere over our heads and then moving off and away. The rain pounding the tent’s rain fly. Water droplets falling erratically from the leaves and branches…