Derecho hits the Northern Plains and Midwest, turning the sky green and leaving extensive damage, U.S.
Image credit: NOAA/GOES-East, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers. Acquired at 13:10 UTC on July 5, 2022
A cluster of powerful thunderstorms swept through the Northern Plains and Midwest, U.S. on July 5, 2022, bringing destructive winds and flooding rain from South Dakota to northern Iowa. The storm left more than 30 000 customers without power, extensive damage and at least 4 people injured.
The NWS Storm Prediction Center (SPC) received 255 reports of damaging winds and hail, most of which came from the derecho in South Dakota and Iowa.1
The strongest winds were registered in Howard, South Dakota at 159 km/h (99 mph), followed by Huron, South Dakota at 154 km/h (96 mph).
According to a South Dakota Department of Transportation roadway weather information sensor, wind gusts of 112 km/h (70 mph) or higher were sustained for roughly 20 to 30 minutes.
The storm moved into the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area between 15:00 and 15:30 LT, bringing black, blue, grey and even murky green skies and dumping a swath of rain from Huron to Iowa, with anywhere from 75 – 125 mm (3 to 5 inches) throughout, according to Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network.2
Strong winds flattened many cornfields around Crooks, South Dakota, according to VH Storm Chasers. While the full extent of the damage is still unknown, this is probably the case in many areas across the region.
The storm also produced damaging hail across Northern Plains, with grapefruit-sized stones reported in Timber Lake and Promise, South Dakota and Agate, Nebraska.
At least 4 people have been injured.
References:
1 Derecho barrels through northern Plains, Midwest injuring at least 4 – AccuWeather – July 6, 2022
2 NWS confirms derecho swept through southeastern South Dakota with winds up to 99 mph – Argus Leader – July 6, 2022
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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