Derechos | A Hurricane on Land
Derechos, also called land hurricanes, are storm complexes that stretch for hundreds of miles and cause very intense wind. See more about it here…
There is one weather phenomenon that stretches for hundreds of miles, has terrifyingly high winds that can rip the roofs of buildings and tear trees out of the ground, and spin up tornadoes, all in just a couple of days. Well, if you said derechos, you are right! A derecho travels many miles and can cause billions and billions of dollars in damages. In this post, we will explore the formation, destruction, and other things about derechos.
This post is all about derechos.
The Windy Derecho
What is a Derecho?
A derecho is an extremely dangerous and damaging thunderstorm that travels long distances. For one to be known as a derecho, it needs to have winds at or over 58 mph for a damaged swath of over 250 miles. Derechos are mostly known for their very intense wind, with wind speeds and gusts well over 100 mph. These storms can also spin up tornadoes that can cause damage, too. As mentioned before, it is also referred to as a land hurricane.
How Does a Derecho Form?
A derecho forms from a bow echo meeting the criteria for a derecho mentioned above. A bow echo forms when there is a very strong storm, or cluster of storms, often with a sheared environment. As the downdraft develops it creates a gust front. New storms appear with the storms that are already present and that expands the rain-cooled air. It now starts to take the form of a bow. This bow echo continues to strengthen and take more of a bow shape, producing the damage necessary for a derecho.
Where Do They Happen?
Derechos happen in almost every place eastward of the Rockies, but some places get a lot more than others. Derechos mostly happen in the East-Central parts of Tornado Alley, Dixie Alley (especially the western part of it), and the Upper-Midwest. The only two states East of the Rockies that don’t get derechos are Florida and almost all of Maine. In the Upper Midwest, derechos are most common in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Southern Michigan. Going south, they are more common in Southern Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas, along with the southern states of Mississippi, Texas, and Louisiana.
When Do Derechos Happen?
For the final section of this short post, we will go to when in the year derechos happen the most. Starting off with the largest range, according to NOAA, 78% of derechos happen from April through August. The top three months for a derecho are May, June, and July, and out of those three, May wins. Derechos are the least likely to happen in the final months of the year, rather than the earlier ones. But derechos still can happen in any month of the year, an example would be the December 15 derecho in 2022.
