Winds of … CNN's Jennifer Gray explains the power of a derecho wind storm and how it can sometimes cause more damage than a tornado. This complex system was considered a derecho. For a more comprehensive view of derecho hazards, the "Noteworthy Event" page for the July 4-5, 1980 derecho lists the cause of death or injury for the 73 casualties of that event, providing a typical example of the risks to humans posed by derechos. A mesoscale convective system on August 10th, 2020 producing derecho winds. According to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center, a derecho is a severe wind storm that causes a path of wind damage of 250 miles or more and a damage width of 50 miles or more. It’s a violent storm system that can produce widespread wind damage, usually associated with a rapidly moving band of … On August 10th, 2020, a … … A derecho often causes more damage than even a tornado because it can hover in one place and its high winds can affect a far larger area, Marsh said. Frequency of derecho events in the United States between 1980 and 2001. Derechos are large clusters of thunderstorms that most commonly form in late spring and summer and cause widespread destruction to trees, power lines and sometimes structures. Pennsylvania and New Jersey received the brunt of a derecho on June 3, 2020, that killed four people and left nearly a million without power across the mid-Atlantic region. What is a derecho? The storm also must cause wind damage across an area at least 240 miles (400 kilometers) wide to count as a derecho. Formally, a derecho (pronounced "de-RAY-cho") is a widespread, convectively-induced straight-line wind storm composed of numerous downbursts produced by a group of thunderstorms. Before I get into what they are, let’s discuss the current meteorological circumstances involving this derecho. Residents in the Midwest felt the wrath of a derecho which left widespread damage and more than a million customers in the dark Monday afternoon. In this episode of the Breakdown, we will explain what a derecho is and why it can cause major damage. They can produce significant damage to structures and sometimes cause “blowdowns” of millions of trees. It differs from typical thunderstorm lines by its rapid speed of movement and the existence of highest wind speeds well behind the gust front, rather than at the gust front. NOAA. Derecho is actually a Spanish word that, in this context, translates to "straight-ahead" or "direct." 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