Posted on 06/12/2013 3:22:19 AM PDT by Clint N. Suhks
Ingredients are coming together across parts of the Midwest and Ohio Valley that could potentially trigger a derecho on Wednesday into Wednesday night.
While it isn't exactly a certainty whether or not a derecho will form, some of the cities and towns most at risk include Chicago, Ill.; Columbus, Ohio; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Aurora, Ill.; Dayton, Ohio and Davenport, Iowa, to name a few.
Strictly speaking, a derecho is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. These showers and thunderstorms produce wind damage over a large swath of land.
While wind gusts form derechos can sometimes reach speeds over 80 or even 100 mph, the vast majority of observed wind reports are usually between 60 and 70 mph.
Wind speeds of 60 or 70 mph can uproot trees, snap off large branches and bring down utility poles and wires. Due to the widespread nature of these wind gusts, power outages can also be far-reaching.
Additionally, these kinds of wind speeds can cause minor damage to structures, including roofs on houses, and they can easily blow around any unsecured objects left outside.
Even if a derecho does not evolve on Wednesday and Wednesday night, powerful thunderstorms will still be quite numerous across much of Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
Thunderstorms will begin near Davenport, Iowa and northern Illinois. The thunderstorms that develop here will have the ability to take on some rotation, and a few tornadoes are possible, especially in and around Davenport, Rockford, Ill.; Sterling Ill.; Ottawa, Ill. and Chicago.
The thunderstorms will then begin to congeal into a bowing, or backward 'C' shaped line as they reach northern Indiana or Lake Michigan. How much of a bowing shape the thunderstorms can take on will play a role in determining how much wind the storms can produce, and ultimately, whether or not a "derecho" fully evolves.
The worst of the storms will likely be in the afternoon across western Iowa into northern Illinois and Indiana. In places such as Ohio, the most dangerous storms may hold out until the evening hours or even after dark. Still, there could still be a stray thunderstorm around even before the main line arrives.
If you will be out and about on Wednesday or have any plans Wednesday evening or night, you will need to pay special attention to the weather as this could be a particularly dangerous situation. Once thunderstorms develop, they will strengthen quickly, and dangerous conditions could follow soon after.
One added concern across the region will be very heavy, potentially flooding rain. This storm system will have the ability to produce a large area of 2-3 inches from Chicago into Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. Rain of this magnitude, on top of already saturated soil, will cause flash flooding and the possibility of renewed flooding or larger waterways.
Current technology has advanced enough over recent years to provide ample alert of the potential for severe weather and the approach of localized severe storms. Be sure to understand the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means that an area is being monitored for dangerous weather. A warning means that dangerous weather is imminent. When a warning is issued, there may be too little time to travel across town or across a county to escape the storm. The time to have a plan of action and move to the general vicinity of a storm shelter or safe area is when a watch is issued.
Keep in mind that lightning is one of Mother Nature's most dangerous killers. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be struck by lightning, even if the sun is still shining.
There are tornadoes in SW PA, although not a lot.
I just brought in all my deck things ...here in Western Pa....the maps are red for this area so am not taking any chances.
Yeah, the OKC event was a circus. They literally had 100’s of storm chasers, a few serious and experienced, the rest were amateurs at best. It was multi-funnel with the funnels going every which way. No large EF-4 or EF-5 funnel in any pictures I saw (or radar). But it got labeled an EF-5 based on some experimental radar estimates. Likely was an EF-3 or more than one EF-3 throwing those cars around.
Derecho is a Spanish word. It’s yet another effort to make our language comply with political correctness. A few years ago there was an effort to rename wind storms as a “haboob”... A boob-headed idea that failed.
derecho...La derecha (”right” in Spanish)...George Bush’s fault???
Joe Bastardi just posted this to twitter.
Joe Bastardi @BigJoeBastardi
Interesting how everyone got Derecho happy last year. This looks more like lines of thunderstorms, with the curved arc heavy rain n of track
Well those Latinos need to know when a bad storm is coming!
Isn’t this sort of storm also called a squall line? I’ve never heard the term “derecho” (”right” in Spanish) applied to a storm.
I don’t know which was worse last year for us here in North Central WV, the Derecho or Sandy. Both had prolonged power outages, Sandy being longer for me, but the Derecho was more widespread and came without warning.
Derecho? Sounds like a big rain storm to me. But then, it seems the media is always trying new words to panic the public.
Remember “Thorms” and El NINO?
What is the Waffle House rating of a Derecho?
Great. We had one of these things last year and power was out for weeks in some parts of the city, during a heat wave. Fallen trees sealed off neighborhoods for days.
I still don’t know what a derecho is, though.....I’m pretty sure they made up the term. We used to have plain old “straightline winds.”
FOX News Radio anchor can’t even pronounce it right...
I think they still use haboob in AZ, but only because of the dust.
LOL, not surprised
The following link has nothing to do with a derecho but has everything to do with “heat bursts”. This happened yesterday in Nebraska. Very interesting.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=gid&storyid=95313&source=0
Note to self- turn off weather channel- They will having orgasms all day.
Well I can’t speak from experience... but I can say, the Derecho was without warning, winds over 100 mph... No prep time, no time to escape. IMHO, devastation is devastation.. however, no warning and no sheltering time is very dangerous. I cannot believe the death toll was so low. I was grateful to hear from my family suddenly pelted with limbs, trees, debris from houses while driving.
Ya NEVER want to end up as a red dot on a map:-/
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