Deadly derecho brewing

During the first few weeks of October, or rather what popular culture has dubbed “Spooky Season”, New England was dealt a deadly derecho blow. A derecho, as defined by the National Weather Service, is a fast-moving complex of thunderstorms with severe wind gusts that travels an extended distance, spanning several cities and states.

The early hints of a derecho was first spotted in Lake Erie, NY, where strong gusts of wind were beginning to pick up. Locals witnessed some storm damage in Oswego County, NY, where winds were recorded at 60 mph. In Montgomery County, NY, a brief EF0, with winds reaching 85 mph, destroyed a barn and some farm area. Microbursts were also witnessed in Root, Pittstown and Johnsonville. Several hardwood trees in the Tomhannock Resevoir were snapped in half.

 

Severe winds sweep the area

Intense storms quickly Massachusetts, with wind speeds reaching 80 mph. The severe weather conditions led to 250 000 people being left in the dark due to power outages. In New York, nearly 150 000 people were left without power as a result of the storm.

According to the National Weather Service, the derecho, which usually requires quite a bit of moisture in the air in order to set it off, occured during a rather dry spot in the air. However, meteorologist Hayden Frank notes that the derecho was set off as a result of a cold front approaching the New England area. Bill Bunting of the Storm Prediction Center recognized that the derecho was in fact a “hybrid low dew point derecho”.

 

Iowa prone

Luckily no one was harmed during the severe weather and only minor damage incurred which causes some residents to need roofing services in New England and its surrounding areas. Give roofing provider Nextgen Construction Services Inc a call for immediate assessment and thorough inspection of your roof. The previous derecho of 2020 occurred in Iowa in August, where winds were reached dangerous speeds of up to 140 mph. Cedar Rapids and the surrounding communities suffered damages of up $7.5 billion. The Iowa area is reportedly prone to these highly damaging weather events.