Derechos (pronounced like “deh-REY-chos”) are fast-moving bands of thunderstorms with destructive winds. The winds of a derecho travel at least 58 miles per hour and have been recorded as fast as
130 miles per hour
. That’s as fast as some tornados!
How far can a derecho travel?
A derecho wind damage swath must extend either continuously or intermittently
more than 400 miles (about 650 km)
with a width of at least 60 miles (about 100 km).
How fast is Iowa derecho?
A derecho has wind gusts of
at least 58 mph
and causes wind damage along a front spanning at least 240 miles. Wednesday’s storm extended north to south across several states and produced wind gusts of more than 80 mph in some parts of Iowa.
In which direction do derechos usually travel?
Derechos move rapidly in
the direction of movement of their associated storms
, similar to an outflow boundary (gust front), except that the wind remains sustained for a greater period of time (often increasing in strength after onset), and may exceed hurricane-force.
What was the worst derecho ever?
| Composite radar image as the storm moved from Indiana to Virginia | Date(s) June 29–30, 2012 | Damage costs $2.9 billion |
|---|
Is a derecho worse than a tornado?
Derechos (pronounced like “deh-REY-chos”) are fast-moving bands of thunderstorms with destructive winds. The winds of a derecho travel at least 58 miles per hour and have been recorded as fast as 130 miles per hour. That’s
as fast as some tornados
!
How long did the Iowa derecho last?
| Flattened corn field near Adel, Iowa on evening of August 19, 2020. | August 10 radar composite from 8am to 7pm CDT | Date(s) August 10–11, 2020 | Duration 14 hours | Track length 770 mi (1,240 km) |
|---|
How do you stay safe during a derecho?
At the first sign of high winds and rain,
find shelter and hunker down
. You’re at much greater risk from a derecho if you’re out in the open. Get indoors if possible and move away from windows and doors. If you are in a mobile home or car, get to a nearby building or storm shelter as quickly as possible.
Is a derecho a land hurricane?
derecho,
also called land hurricane
, windstorm traveling in a straight line characterized by gusts in excess of 93 km (58 miles) per hour and the production of a swath of wind-generated damage along a front spanning more than 400 km (250 miles) in length.
How much did the Iowa derecho cost?
NOAA estimates the derecho caused
over $11 billion
in damage across the Midwest. In Iowa alone, the storm caused widespread power outages and damaged or downed over 7 million trees, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
What is a Draco storm?
The event is known as a derecho. A derecho (pronounced similar to “deh-REY-cho”) is
a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms
.
What was the strongest derecho?
The
Iowa Derecho
is among the strongest across the country on record. The highest wind speed in a derecho was recorded in Utah, which was likely aided by the mountains in the region. Outside of that the second strongest would be nearly 130 mph wind gusts recorded in Wisconsin in 1998..
When was the last derecho in the US?
A severe weather event which took place from
August 10–11, 2020
across the Midwestern United States and portions of southwestern Ontario. The derecho caused notably high wind speeds of up to 126 mph recorded in Iowa, with post-damage assessments of up to 140 mph in some places.
How often do derechos happen?
Derechos occur mainly across the central and eastern U.S., where many locations are affected
one to two times per year on average
. They can produce significant damage to structures and sometimes cause “blowdowns” of millions of trees.
How can you prepare for a derecho?
- Seek shelter ASAP.
- Batten down the hatches.
- Prepare for power outages.
- Buy Doritos and nacho cheese, in advance.
- Stay calm, and keep your clothes on.
What caused Iowa derecho?
In the morning, thunderstorms, including a supercell, developed over South Dakota and tracked into central Iowa. As the thunderstorms reached central Iowa,
a strong rear-inflow jet
developed which caused the thunderstorm to take on a different characteristic, becoming a derecho.
When was the last derecho in Michigan?
Area of Lower Michigan affected by the worst damage from the
May 30-31, 1998
derecho.
Has Michigan ever had a derecho?
In the stronger derecho events winds can exceed 100 mph.
Southeast Lower Michigan has had several derechos in the past
, but certainly one of the more memorable ones plowed through extreme Southern Michigan during the forenoon hours of Wednesday, July 16th, 1980.
Why is it called a derecho?
The term derecho—which
means “straight ahead” in Spanish
—was coined in 1888 by Gustavus Hinrichs, a physics professor at the University of Iowa who sought to distinguish these straight-moving winds from the swirling gusts of a tornado.
What does derechos mean in English?
Definition of derecho
:
a large fast-moving complex of thunderstorms with powerful straight-line winds that cause widespread destruction
.
What is the difference between a microburst and a derecho?
A microburst is just a very strong downburst. The wind created by it is so strong that it can knock over trees and is a danger to airplanes. The winds created by squall lines are strongest out in front of the squall line. These winds along an entire squall line can cause a derecho.
Can a derecho destroy a house?
Nearly 3,000 — 2,778 total – Marshalltown buildings were affected, damaged or destroyed by the derecho.
More than 150 residential homes, 126 mobile homes and 10 multifamily properties sustained major damage from the Aug. 10 derecho and seven were completely destroyed.
How expensive was the derecho?
The powerful storm system brought winds of more than 100 MPH through much of Iowa and parts of Illinois. MOLINE, Ill. — It’s official. The derecho of August 10, 2020, is now the costliest severe thunderstorm event in United States History coming in at a whopping
$11.2 billion worth of damage
.
How often does a derecho happen in Iowa?
Forecasters expect Iowa to get hit by a derecho
once every two years
, Glisan said. Prior to last year’s derecho, the last to hit the state was in 2014. A total of 13 derechos have been recorded in Iowa since 1980, Glisan said. “To have derechos within two years of this intensity” is rare, he confirmed.
What is the difference between a derecho and a hurricane?
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the primary difference between a derecho and the other storms is that
tornadoes and hurricanes are cyclonic
— they spin counterclockwise, and in the case of tornadoes, usually are tightly packed.
