"More Trees Down" Derecho

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The "More Trees Down" Derecho is one of several notable derechos, or long-lived windstorms, to occur in the United States. It occurred on July 4 and 5, 1980.

The derecho developed just east of Omaha, Nebraska in the late evening hours of July 4. The storm raced east at 60 mph (100 km/h) as it passed through eastern Indiana and northwest Ohio by 8 a.m. on July 5. It continued east and dissipated over the Delmarva Bay area in the early evening hours that same day.

Map and track of the More Trees Down Derecho (courtesy of NOAA)

Six people were killed and 67 were injured.

This derecho event was similar to several other windstorms that occurred throughout the summer of 1980. Like the summer of 1998, a strong high-pressure ridge sat over the central and southern Plains creating a massive heat wave and drought. The bow echo systems were kept north and east of the high-pressure ridge and moved southeast. The Heat Wave of 1980 is among the billion-dollar disasters listed by NOAA.

[edit] Origin of the "More Trees Down" name

Robert Johns, a meteorologist working for the then-National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City, Missouri, had a conversation with his father who lived in Indianapolis. His father said that they had experienced several windstorms during the past few weeks and that they lost two or three trees per windstorm. And with the latest windstorm there were "more trees down" in the grove. Thus, the July 4-5, 1980 event became the "More Trees Down" derecho.