Few, if any of us here had ever heard of a ‘derecho’ but, when one hit the Camp on May 21st, on May 22nd we made a point of finding out!
Derechos are not common and occur mostly in the United States in late spring/early summer. They produce walls of strong wind, and the term is actually Spanish in origin and basically means ‘straight ahead’. They are distinguished from swirling tornadoes because they move straight but, they can be just as destructive!
For a storm to be classified as a derecho, it must travel at least 380 kms and move at speeds of at least 95 kms/h. The one that swept through Ontario extended for 1,000 kms and had winds up to 190 kms/h.
To complicate things, they can also produce tornadoes – thus the EF2 tornado that hit Uxbridge.
They are rare in Canada — the last one was in 1999. They happen when there is a lot of heat and moisture, and they are often tied to what are termed ‘heat domes’. Experts point to a warmer atmosphere that is creeping northward, which means this kind of storm can be expected more often. Oh yipppeee!! ☹
So, keep your emergency kit in tip top shape, make sure you have a plan to stay safe, and batten down the hatches – you may be in for a derecho!
Evidence of the direct line of wind is seen in the direction that most of our trees fell – northeast.
Below is a good example of this! The Sugar Shack took a direct hit!
