The National Weather Service has declared that the damage in Michigan City and environs yesterday was caused by straight-line winds, not tornadoes. But I wonder, did they see these bleachers? I don’t see how straight-line winds could possibly have caused this. Watch the whole video to understand why I say that:

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It’s those wooden posts that seem like the “smoking gun” to me. Here are some photos that make the same point:

I could be wrong, of course. The NWS certainly knows more about this stuff than I do. But I wonder if their inspectors even saw these particular bleachers. I’d love to know how straight-line winds could blow large, heavy metal bleachers into a set of wooden spikes — at an impact velocity of 100 mph or whatever it was, and with 50 yards’ worth of forward momentum — without bending the spikes.

Looking at the damage, it seemed clear to me that the bleachers had landed on the spikes from above, coming from a vertical, not horizontal, direction. I’m not convinced by the NWS’s statement that my interpretation was incorrect.

Via Google Maps, here’s a satellite view of the location of the bleachers in question. The red line indicates the path they took:

Closer view here. Wider view here. Map of Washington Park here.

More photos of the bleachers after the jump.

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Here's a picture from Michigan City earlier of Brendan standing on an uprooted tree, taking pictures.

Power's still out in Westville. Methinks the power company prioritized Michigan City.

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Get this m*****f***ing branch off my m*****f***ing car! :)

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Tropical Depression #5 has formed near the Windward Islands. This is that same storm that has been getting more attention lately than Debby.
Read the latest advisory here.

This gazebo in Michigan City's Washington Street Park has definitely seen better days.

Or leaning tree, rather.

Another shot of the big uprooted tree.

[NOTE: The first photo of the big uprooted tree, titled “Storm damage #2,” never posted, for some reason. -ed.]

Lots of downed trees in Michigan City's Washington Park, and the hum of equipment cleaning up the mess.

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Commenter Aaron points to fascinating Wall Street Journal article by Ross Douthat called “What Year Is It?,” which posits that the various foreign-policy factions in this country can be broken down into five groups on the basis of “what year they think it is.” There are the 1919ists, the 1938ists, the 1942ists, the 1948ists, and the 1972ists. (Aaron says he’s “about 20% ‘72er and 60% ‘48er, with a 15% dollop of ‘38ish worry and a 5% dash of ‘19er isolationism.”)

I’ll refrain from blockquoting a lengthy excerpt, and will instead simply encourage you to read the whole thing. It’s definitely worth it.

I will, however, quote the punch line:

A few voices have spoken up of late for the most disquieting possibility of all. This possibility lacks heroes and villains (Bush/Wilson, Ahmadinejad/Hitler) and obvious lessons (impeach Bush, stay the course in Iraq). But as our crisis deepens, it’s worth considering 1914ism, and with it the possibility that all of us, whatever year we think it is, are poised on the edge of an abyss that nobody saw coming.

Apple Computer is recalling 1.1 million laptop batteries supplied by Sony, citing a fire hazard, The Associated Press reports. Visit CNN for the latest.