Dear Tom,
While on a trip to Tennessee last May we drove through southern Illinois. In the area from Mt. Vernon to Fulton, Ky., we noticed many trees uprooted, broken in two, twisted and scattered along the road. What kind of storm produced such widespread damage?
Roy Martin
Dear Roy,
You witnessed the aftermath of one of the worst squall lines to pass through southern Illinois in more than a decade. On May 8, 2009, the long-lived, fast-moving thunderstorm complex known as a derecho left a widespread trail of destruction from southern Missouri and southern Illinois all the way to the western Carolinas. Winds peaked in excess of 100 m.p.h. and the damage was likened to that of a hurricane because of the vast extent of the damage path. Several tornadoes were reported in addition to the very strong winds. Four people perished in the storms and at least a dozen were injured.
While on a trip to Tennessee last May we drove through southern Illinois. In the area from Mt. Vernon to Fulton, Ky., we noticed many trees uprooted, broken in two, twisted and scattered along the road. What kind of storm produced such widespread damage?
Roy Martin
Dear Roy,
You witnessed the aftermath of one of the worst squall lines to pass through southern Illinois in more than a decade. On May 8, 2009, the long-lived, fast-moving thunderstorm complex known as a derecho left a widespread trail of destruction from southern Missouri and southern Illinois all the way to the western Carolinas. Winds peaked in excess of 100 m.p.h. and the damage was likened to that of a hurricane because of the vast extent of the damage path. Several tornadoes were reported in addition to the very strong winds. Four people perished in the storms and at least a dozen were injured.
If records are kept, is the Derecho to hit Northern Wi 30 to 40 years ago the strongest one in the USA?
Dear Tom,
I was outside on a beautiful day. The sky was blue and there were many smaller clouds. The clouds were all flat on the bottom as if someone had drawn a line across the sky, and billowed on the top. Your drawings of clouds for each of the respective days in the Tribune also show this. What causes this? Thanks.
Werner Kiuntke