What is a Derecho? (With Timelapse Video) A quick look at Friday
night's storm. The Friday night storm that claimed two local
lives, caused widespread power outages and tore up trees wasn't
just a strong thunderstorm. Northern Virginia owes its awe to a
specific sort of destruction-causing storm, a derecho. What is a
derecho? A derecho is a long-lived, widespread windstorm that
can produce damage similar to that seen in the aftermath of a
tornado, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration. The windstorm comes with a fast-moving band of
thunderstorms and often causes damage in a wide, straight path.
Friday night's derecho originated in the Chicago area and raced
east towards Washington D.C. It left a large path of destruction
in its wake. The National Weather Service compiled a list of
over 800 weather damage reports from this storm. Click here to
see an interactive map of the weather damage reports. The storm
had wind gusts clocked at 91 mph at Fort Wayne Internation
Airport in Indiana,