Severe Storm Aftermath UPDATE: Finally OUT of the Dark: Day 3

SEVERE STORM AFTERMATH-  We had an Extreme "DERECHO" hit the Mid-Atlantic just before midnight Friday nite- with wind gusts as high as 90 mph in some areas (Hurricane force), leaving over ONE MILLION people in the dark (including us).  **Our friend MaryAnn flew in on friday afternoon to spend the weekend with us, and it was a miserable experience with no power and highs daily near 100F. She was a trooper, though.


FOR THE HISTORY OF THE DERECHO FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE:
http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/lwx/events/svrwx_20120629/?goback=.gde_1858089_member_131685317

TODAY WAS Day 3: NO POWER. 85f in house. Near 100F Outside every day since power went out Friday night at 11:30pm. (It was 104F on Friday during the day).

****UPDATE**** At 1:45 p.m. EDT THE POWER WAS RESTORED*** 

Tom's folks still don't have power, so they'll be coming over tonight.   - We really take power for granted. 

THANKS: Last nite, thanks to our friend Ed, the dogs and I stayed with him (Tom refused to leave the house)... the dogs were distressed, and I've had several Asthma attacks, so I had no choice. We've checked on friends and neighbors, and Tom's folks have no power either.*But they have a Basement.


TIPS: 1) Stay in your basement at night.
2) PET TIPS- Keep your dogs and cats hydrated with a LOT of water/ Wipe them down with a wet cloth./ Take them in the backyard and hose them down /
3) OUT TRAFFIC LIGHTS- *Treat them as a 4 way stop!* - We saw a number of accidents because people don't stop! What's wrong with people?
4) OPEN WINDOWS AT NIGHT - temps fall into the 70s at night, and are usually in the 80s inside.

IMAGE-     Derecho's aren't common in our area, but occur more often in the Southern Plains and Ohio Valley.  The derecho climatology map below puts the D.C. area in a category of one derecho every four years. Credit: Storm Prediction Center

WHAT WAS THIS 100 MILE LINE OF SEVERE WEATHER?


Before Friday, June 29th, you may have never heard of the term "Derecho".  I'm sure by now, you're well aware of what it means.... and it's probably something you wish you never knew about or had to experience.
A large cluster of thunderstorms developed Friday afternoon on June 29th in Eastern Iowa and continued to intensify, as it marched East into Northern Illinois and Indiana.  A derecho is defined as a long lived wind storm that can travel for hundreds of miles with damage generally following a straight path.  This is where the term "straight line winds" come from.  The powerful thunderstorms travel very fast and as they accelerate, the storms sometimes tend to "bow".  That can result in wind gusts between 60 and 100 mph.  Take a look at a graphic, from the Storm Prediction Center, showing the over 600 mile radius the derecho traveled.
FULL STORY: http://www.wjla.com/blogs/weather/2012/06/d-c-derecho-midwest-to-east-coast-destructive-storms-16018.html