Marion, N.C., Hit by High Winds.

Bad weather hit Marion, North Carolina, on Wednesday.

I work at the local Marion Walmart and have to be outside for most of the day; this means that I had to get a first-hand look at the approaching winds and was forced to work in them the entire day.

The National Weather Service issued a high-wind warning throughout the day in the McDowell County area. It was after lunch when the wind really picked up, reaching speeds of over 24 MPH, according to the National Weather Service. About this time, I was lucky enough to be eating lunch and out of the weather for about an hour.

Then from 1p.m. when I returned outside to work the wind speed were holding steady at the same 24 MPH. but had increased to almost 30 by 2:20 p.m. This was decidedly the worst wind I have ever had the displeasure to work in.

The wind was blowing shopping carts around the parking lot when the customers did not properly return them. This made it even harder for me because I had to move faster to collect them before damage was done to the other customer's cars. Then as if the wind realized I was nearing the end of my limits it continued. The wind had begun to blow several trash cans around in the parking lot and continued to be a pain. Wind started to blow several of the shopping cart return centers over in the spaces.

Wind that strong easily hitting the huge sign on them and pushing them over into the next spaces. Luckily there was no damage to any cars the spaces that the returns went into were unoccupied.

Then, as a further detriment to my day, I received news later on that wind damage around my home had cut power to the entire area I live in.

Luckily, my house remained untouched and barely a single limb had even been blown down. My two-year-old son was very upset at the howling winds outside and was even further upset at his mother when she turned off the TV. Should I mention again that the storm cut the entire power? That is a fact in this situation that you could not mention to a two-year-old because he will just look at you and say "huh?"

I returned home at around 5 p.m. to find the Duke Power had still not repaired the damage. I'm guessing this is because the National Weather Service showed 22 - 24 MPH winds still blowing.

I do not mind mentioning I was completely unprepared for any severe weather, a fault that lies partially with my two-year-old son for running the batteries out of my flashlights. So my wife and I decided to go over to my parents' house, right across the road. An idea spurred because my Boy Scout-ish father is usually not caught off guard by anything. So, here we go trying to get four kids ready to go out the door at almost six in the evening, which is not an easy task at any time of the day most especially before they have had supper.

Finally coats and hats were on shoes were fastened and tied and we were approaching the door. I had stopped to blow out the last candle we had light up when BOOM the power came back on. There was no stopping my son from going. He already knew where we were going and was bound and determined to see his nana.

So after a long hard day of weather and work there is nothing left to do but pick up the pieces and hope for a better day tomorrow.