Dangerous heat will persist over portions of interior California, the Great Basin, and the northern Rockies through Thursday. Heat will gradually spread into the northern Plains today. Across the western Gulf Coast, heavy to excessive rainfall will persist through mid-week. Additionally, the Southwest Monsoon will continue to bring a flash flooding threat to the Four Corners Region this week. Read More >
Overview
Friday, June 29, 2012 started as a very hot and humid day across the mid-Atlantic region. High temperatures climbed well into the 90s to low 100s that afternoon across our area, with heat index values in the 110°to 115° range. By that evening, an intense, long-lived windstorm called a Derecho pushed into the area and brought significant, widespread wind damage to the Mid-Atlantic region.
The storms formed in Wisconsin and northern Illinois early Friday afternoon then moved east at nearly 60 mph, carving out a path of destruction nearly 700 miles long, before crossing our area between 10 pm and just after midnight early Saturday morning the 30th. Wind gusts of between 60 and 80 mph were reported across our area during the most intense part of the event across central and eastern Virginia over to the lower eastern shore Friday night the 29th.
Unfortunately, 13 people were killed during the storm by the extreme winds over the Ohio Valley into the Mid-Atlantic region, mainly by falling trees. Given these fatalities, as well as the magnitude of the damage and subsequent power outages precipitated by this event and the extreme heat across much of the eastern United States, an NWS Service Assessment was compiled. The results of that service assessment are available here.
An interactive NOAA/NWS StoryMap about the event is located here.
Photos
Selected Storm Damage Photos
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| Storm Damage in the northern neck of Virginia (credit: Nancy Smith) | Storm Damage in Richmond, VA (credit: Richmond Times-Dispatch) | Storm Damage in northern VA (credit: Associated Press) | Damage to a home in Louisa County, VA (credit: Daily Progress) |
Radar
Selected Radar Loops of 0.5° Base Reflectivity/Velocity
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| CONUS 0.5° reflectivity from 2 AM EDT 29 June 2012 through 2 AM EDT 30 June 2012 |
Regional Radar from noon on the 29th through 2 AM. Note the hot temperatures which preceded the storms that afternoon. Heat index values were 110°-115° range during this time! |
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| IR Satellite animation from Friday afternoon through Friday night (16 UTC/12 pm EDT 6/29/2012 through 07 UTC/3 am 6/30/2012). IR Satellite measures the cloud top temperature and is used to infer storm intensity. The orange colors represent cloud top temperatures near -60°C while the dark brown and grey colors represent temperatures below -80°C. |
Storm Reports
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| Storm Reports for 29 June 2012 |
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...LOCAL STORM REPORTS JUN 29-30 2012...
1010 PM TSTM WND DMG LOUISA 38.02N 78.00W
06/29/2012 LOUISA VA TRAINED SPOTTER
TREES DOWN ON COLUMBIA AND LOUISA ROADS
1010 PM TSTM WND DMG MINERAL 38.01N 77.91W
06/29/2012 LOUISA VA TRAINED SPOTTER
SEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWN IN MINERAL.
1010 PM TSTM WND DMG LOUISA 38.02N 78.00W
06/29/2012 LOUISA VA EMERGENCY MNGR
SEVERAL LARGE TREES...POWER POLES...POWER LINES AND
BRANCHES DOWN COUNTY WIDE IN LOUISA COUNTY. TREES
REPORTED DOWN ON HOMES AND CARS IN MINERAL.
1025 PM TSTM WND GST 2 ESE DEATONVILLE 37.32N 78.14W
06/29/2012 E60 MPH AMELIA VA TRAINED SPOTTER
40 MPH GUSTING TO 60 MPH
1030 PM TSTM WND DMG SANDY HOOK 37.75N 77.91W
06/29/2012 GOOCHLAND VA PUBLIC
TREES DOWN IN SANDY HOOK AND HADENSVILLE
1035 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 SE TUCKAHOE 37.58N 77.58W
06/29/2012 HENRICO VA BROADCAST MEDIA
LARGE TREE DOWNED AND BLOCKING ROADWAY ON SLEEPY HOLLOW
RD IN RICHMOND
1040 PM TSTM WND GST SHORT PUMP 37.65N 77.61W
06/29/2012 E60 MPH HENRICO VA PUBLIC
WIND GUSTS ON PARHAM AND PEMBERTON ROADS
1040 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 WSW SCOTCHTOWN 37.84N 77.61W
06/29/2012 HANOVER VA EMERGENCY MNGR
LARGE TREES DOWN ON COATESVILLE RD NEAR BEAVERDAM
1040 PM TSTM WND DMG JEFFERSON 37.61N 77.90W
06/29/2012 POWHATAN VA AMATEUR RADIO
TIME IS APPROXIMATE AND BASED ON RADAR ESTIMATE.
MULTIPLE TREES DOWN AT INTERSECTION OF VA 522 AND VA
711.
1045 PM TSTM WND DMG LUNENBURG 36.96N 78.27W
06/29/2012 LUNENBURG VA AMATEUR RADIO
TREES DOWN AND BLOCKING VA 723 IN LUNENBURG
1050 PM TSTM WND GST 2 N PENOLA 37.98N 77.37W
06/29/2012 M60 MPH CAROLINE VA TRAINED SPOTTER
SEVERAL LARGE TREES DOWN ALONG PENOLA RD
1056 PM TSTM WND GST KENBRIDGE 36.96N 78.13W
06/29/2012 M58 MPH LUNENBURG VA MESONET
58 MPH GUST AT KENBRIDGE
1105 PM TSTM WND DMG LAKE CHESDIN PARK 37.27N 77.65W
06/29/2012 CHESTERFIELD VA PUBLIC
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN AT WHIPPERNOCK MARINA AND
CAMPGROUND
1125 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 E FRENCH HAY 37.69N 77.45W
06/29/2012 HANOVER VA EMERGENCY MNGR
TREES FALLING ON CARS ALONG INTERSTATE 95 NEAR EXIT 86.
SEVERAL DOWNED TREES WEST OF ASHLAND.
1125 PM TSTM WND GST DISPUTANTA 37.12N 77.23W
06/29/2012 E65 MPH PRINCE GEORGE VA TRAINED SPOTTER
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN
1140 PM TSTM WND DMG WAKEFIELD 36.97N 76.99W
06/29/2012 SUSSEX VA NWS OFFICE
LARGE TREE BRANCHES PARTIALLY BLOCKING US 460
1145 PM TSTM WND GST GLOUCESTER 37.41N 76.53W
06/29/2012 M60 MPH GLOUCESTER VA TRAINED SPOTTER
NUMEROUS TREES DOWNED ALONG HIGHWAY 14...NE OF
GLOUCESTER
1153 PM TSTM WND GST FRANKLIN 36.68N 76.94W
06/29/2012 M71 MPH CITY OF FRANKLIN VA TRAINED SPOTTER
1155 PM TSTM WND DMG JAMESTOWN 37.22N 76.76W
06/29/2012 JAMES CITY VA AMATEUR RADIO
LARGE TREE DOWNED BLOCKING ROAD NEAR INTERSECTION OF
GREEN SPRINGS AND TYLER IN JAMESTOWN
1155 PM TSTM WND GST FRANKLIN/J_B_ROSE 36.70N 76.90W
06/29/2012 M74 MPH ISLE OF WIGHT VA ASOS
1155 PM TSTM WND DMG CAMBRIDGE 38.56N 76.08W
06/29/2012 DORCHESTER MD PUBLIC
TIME IS APPROXIMATE AND BASED ON RADAR ESTIMATE.
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN...AWNING BLOWN OFF RESIDENCE IN
CAMBRIDGE CREEK
1156 PM TSTM WND GST FORT EUSTIS 37.13N 76.62W
06/29/2012 M63 MPH CITY OF NEWPORT NE VA ASOS
1200 AM TSTM WND GST WINDSOR 36.81N 76.74W
06/30/2012 M62 MPH ISLE OF WIGHT VA TRAINED SPOTTER
1208 AM TSTM WND DMG SALISBURY 38.37N 75.59W
06/30/2012 WICOMICO MD PUBLIC
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN IN SALISBURY
1210 AM TSTM WND GST GATES 36.50N 76.77W
06/30/2012 E60 MPH GATES NC PUBLIC
1210 AM MARINE TSTM WIND STINGRAY POINT 37.55N 76.25W
06/30/2012 M61 MPH ANZ631 VA BUOY
1210 AM TSTM WND DMG SMITHFIELD 36.98N 76.62W
06/30/2012 ISLE OF WIGHT VA NWS EMPLOYEE
TREES DOWN...ESTIMATED WIND GUST 60 MPH
1212 AM MARINE TSTM WIND RAPPAHANNOCK LIGHT 37.54N 76.02W
06/30/2012 M63 MPH ANZ631 VA BUOY
1217 AM TSTM WND DMG GRAFTON 37.16N 76.47W
06/30/2012 YORK VA PUBLIC
LARGE OAK TREE DOWN WITH SEVERAL ADDITIONAL LARGE
BRANCHES DOWN IN GRAFTON.
1218 AM MARINE TSTM WIND YORKTOWN 37.23N 76.48W
06/30/2012 M34 MPH YORK VA BUOY
1224 AM TSTM WND GST PORTSMOUTH 36.84N 76.30W
06/30/2012 M61 MPH CITY OF PORTSMOUTH VA COUNTY OFFICIAL
61 MPH GUST MEASURED AT PORTSMOUTH EOC
1230 AM TSTM WND DMG DOZIERS CORNER 36.76N 76.27W
06/30/2012 CITY OF CHESAPEAKE VA TRAINED SPOTTER
MULTIPLE TREES DOWN.
1230 AM MARINE TSTM WIND 1 S SUSSEX AT HAMPTON 36.99N 76.35W
06/30/2012 M49 MPH ANZ632 VA BUOY
43 KT GUSTS AT HAMPTON FLATS
1230 AM TSTM WND GST KIPTOPEKE 37.14N 75.96W
06/30/2012 M58 MPH NORTHAMPTON VA MESONET
1230 AM TSTM WND GST CHESA BAY BRDG TNL 36.97N 76.11W
06/30/2012 M66 MPH ANZ634 VA BUOY
1230 AM TSTM WND DMG CRISFIELD 37.98N 75.86W
06/30/2012 SOMERSET MD COUNTY OFFICIAL
NUMEROUS TREES DOWN
1230 AM TSTM WND DMG 1 SW PHOEBUS 37.01N 76.33W
06/30/2012 CITY OF HAMPTON VA PUBLIC
TREES DOWN ON MALLORY RD
1242 AM MARINE TSTM WIND 1 N CAPE HENRY 36.94N 76.01W
06/30/2012 M63 MPH ANZ634 VA BUOY
1242 AM TSTM WND GST NWLON CAPE HENRY 36.93N 76.01W
06/30/2012 M63 MPH CITY OF VIRGINIA B VA BUOY
1242 AM MARINE TSTM WIND OCEAN CITY INLET 38.33N 75.09W
06/30/2012 M46 MPH WORCESTER MD BUOY
1243 AM TSTM WND GST OCEANA NAS 36.82N 76.03W
06/30/2012 M61 MPH CITY OF VIRGINIA B VA ASOS
1250 AM TSTM WND DMG BAY COLONY 38.40N 75.16W
06/30/2012 WORCESTER MD PUBLIC
LARGE TREE ON HOME IN OCEAN PINES WITH SEVERAL
ADDITIONAL TREES DOWN.
0100 AM MARINE TSTM WIND CHESAPEAKE LS 36.90N 75.72W
06/30/2012 M55 MPH ANZ656 VA BUOY
Environment
Synoptic Surface Summary from WPC Analysis.
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| 29Jun2012 12z/8 AM EDT | 29Jun2012 18z/2 PM EDT | 29Jun2012 00z/8 PM EDT | 30Jun2012 06z/2 AM EDT |
June 30 2012 00z/8 PM EDT Upper Level Synoptic Snapshot.
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| 500 mb Analysis | 250 mb Analysis |
Near Storm Environment Summary.
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| 21z/5 PM EDT T/Td/MSLP/Wind | 21z/5 PM MLCAPE/MLCIN | 21z/5 PM DCAPE |
Environmental Sounding data
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| 00z/8 PM Sounding from Wallops (WAL) |
00z/8 PM Sounding from Dulles (IAD) Note the 2" PW and more than 5000 J/kg of MLCAPE, indicating very strong instability, forcing, and lift! |
00z/8 PM RNK Sounding |
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Media use of NWS Web News Stories is encouraged! Please acknowledge the NWS as the source of any news information accessed from this site. |
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