The Derecho
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» Barbara Bell - Re:
I was living in Syracuse, NY in 1998 (still here) when this storm hit us. Here is what the Weather Service said about it:"During the early morning hours (between 12:30 and 2:30 am), an intense cluster of thunderstorms moved across the New York State Thruway corridor from Rochester...across Waterloo and Auburn...to Syracuse...Oneida and Clinton. The storms continued to race eastward through the Mohawk Valley... then across across southern Vermont and southern New Hampshire...reaching the coast of Massachusetts north of Boston shortly before 6:00 am... The last derecho to move across central New York occurred on July 15, 1995...The city of Syracuse, including the New York State Fairgrounds, were particularly hard hit. A wind gust of 77 MPH was measured at the Syracuse International Airport - Hancock Field in North Syracuse. During the day, a National Weather Service Team surveyed the damage."
We had had temps in the high '90s that day, which was exceptionally beautiful. At about 11:55 pm, the temperature dropped and it started to rain in sheets coming horizontally. Within seconds lightning and wind seemed to attack in the greatest fury I'd ever witnessed.
In 15 minutes, it was over. We emerged from our house (the power was out) to find neighbors with flashlights in stunned silence and awe-struck wonder at the street completely blocked by the fallen trees. Our neighborhood is nearly 100 years old, and most of the trees that were felled were at least that old.
Throughout the City and the county, there was immense damage. Power was not restored in most places for over a week, and damage recovery took more than a year for several sections of the county. Some of the fallen trees are still lying where they fell, five years later. It's estimated that Syracuse alone lost over 10,000 trees.
I've lived through several hurricanes, but this was the first time I was in fear for my life. There were fatalities, especially at the Fairgrounds, which has its last State Fair day on Labor Day.
I, for one, am much more interested in summer weather changes and am more prepared for emergencies than before. Hopefully, I'll only live through one Derecho in my lifetime!
-- posted by Barbara Bell
» weather_doctor - Re: Re:
In response to message posted by bici:Wild weather indeed! Derechos were never forecast or warnings issued as far as I can remember in my years living in the Great Lakes basin. Are they now?
I am beginning to forget severe thunderstorms, the last one I saw was likely a decade ago. We had our first of the year, and perhaps last, this week: three booms were all I heard. Didn't even wake most folks I have talked to.
-- posted by weather_doctor
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