So the weather experts, who had initially called the storm we had a few days ago a "micro burst", realized that the were incorrect, and are now calling it a "deracho".
"Deracho" is a Spanish word meaning "direct" or "straight ahead". It is used to distinguish thunderstorm-induced straight-line winds from the damaging, rotary winds of tornadoes.
According to the National Weather Service: A derecho (pronounced similar to "deh-REY-cho" in English) is a widespread, long-lived wind storm. Derechos are associated with bands of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms variously known as bow echoes, squall lines, or quasi-linear convective systems.
Although a derecho can produce destruction similar to that of a tornado, the damage typically occurs in one direction along a relatively straight path. As a result, the term "straight-line wind damage" is sometimes used to describe derecho damage. By definition, if the swath of wind damage extends at least 400 miles (about 650 kilometers), is at least 60 miles (about 100 km) wide, includes wind gusts of at least 58 mph (93 km/h) along most of its length, and also includes several, well-separated 75 mph (121 km/h) or greater gusts, the event may be classified as a derecho.
It seems at the small weather station at the top of Mount Sentinel on the east end of the valley, the wind was blowing at 109 miles an hour.
During the cool season (September through April), derechos are relatively infrequent but are most likely to occur from east Texas into the southeastern states.
Derechos are common along the mid-western and eastern parts of the country, but extremely rare west of the Divide. Let's hope it stays that way from now on.
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