Photo of the Week, 1 July 2012

This past Friday, a derecho hit the midwest. Three million people were without power as of Saturday morning in addition to being in the middle of oppressive heat. Three years ago, the day after graduating with my Ph.D., a super derecho hit Carbondale, Illinois. In essence, an inland hurricane hit Southern Illinois University. Trees were upended, cars and buildings were destroyed, and power went out across town, all as I sat in a restaurant hoping my car would still be okay when and if I got outside. Graduation 2009 was suspended as the University didn’t have the means to power all of the locations needed for the multiple graduation ceremonies. Ph.D.’s like me, were some of the lucky few to walk across the stage for that all important diploma the day before. This is the radar of what a 106 m.p.h. Carbondale wind gust looks. Kind of.