WWT for May 10, 2009: Derechos
I chose today's question due to the recent "derecho" which moved across SE Kansas and Missouri causing widespread wind damage this past Friday morning.
If a derecho is heading toward your home, what should you do? Pick TWO answers:
A. turn up the heater
B. prepare for dust
C. avoid west windows
D. avoid east windows
E. watch Dan Threlkeld, Julie Chin, George Flickinger and George Waldenberger for severe storm updates!
A derecho is a large cluster of storms which contains a small, but tight low pressure circulation within the storm cluster, and a huge area of severe wind is pushed out from the storms. The derecho differs from typical gust fronts as the winds are more intense and may last 10-30 minutes.
In our local area, derechos usually approach from the west or northwest, though a derecho moving up from the southwest is also possible.
The two correct answers today are: C and E-- hopefully you would want to guess E anyway!
Send us an email during Sunday's 9-10am newscast on Channel 2 to weekendamshow@kjrh.com with your name, city and correct guess as we're giving away Weather Alert radios until the end of May. We'll pull out one winner per newscast from the those of you who enter the contest and guess correctly!
Thanks for watching! George