DERECHO RISK FOR U.S. MIDWEST
For an illustration of the danger zone: http://sphotos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/945655_526116154116100_2047235949_n.jpg

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Derecho. Such a simple word is not to be taken lightly. Roughly translating to “right” (as in the direction), meteorologists use this term to describe a specific weather pattern, which happens about once a year. The term is often referred to as a land hurricane because of its intense winds that have been recorded up to 320 Km/h (≈200 mph) which are known to cause widespread severe damage across the United States. A typical derecho has wind speeds of 90-110 Km/h (≈50-70 mph) and is about 390 km (≈240 miles) in diameter, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

Currently, the storm clusters are predicted to spawn between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday evening, hitting the major cities of Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis, Columbus, and Pittsburgh. Eastern Iowa is also significantly at risk. Large hail and sporadic tornadoes are also likely to pop up in the areas at risk so caution should be taken by everyone in the affected areas.

The derecho that occurred on June 29, 2012 was one of the strongest and most destructive storm systems in North American history. The derecho caused widespread power outages into the Washington D.C. region, and after the storm system was over, many of the affected areas were met with extreme heat waves that only worsened the conditions.

In addition to the risk of hail and tornadoes, lightning and flash flooding is another factor to be taken into consideration. Since many of these storm clusters are expected to last well through the night, it is important that those at risk have a safety plan in case of severe weather. People oftentimes act with less caution in the evening hours when it is dark out because they cannot see just how bad it truly is outside. Keep in mind though, that overnight tornadoes are of the most dangerous ones and that just because you cannot see an immediate threat, it doesn’t mean that there is not one there.



References:
1. http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-glossary/derechos-the-land-hurricane/14159133
2. http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/derecho-risk-from-chicago-to-c-1/14185568
3. http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2013/06/11/derecho-windstorm-thunderstorm-midwest-east/2412231/

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