Timber falls as heat wave exits
The heat and humidity have split, but not before toppling trees- big ones - all across Maryland and Virginia.
The list of incidents of downed trees, with associated structural damage and power outages, is impressive. There were also some lucky escapes, too. There's the story in today's Sun about Craig Cocharo, of Towson, whose 2007 Honda Accord - with him at the wheel - was crushed by a falling tree at Loch Raven Drive and Dulaney Valley Road. He escaped uninjured, but it's hard to imagine how.
Got any good storm stories to relate? Leave us a comment and share them. Here's Iver Mindel's report of an apparent microburst that raked the Lutherville park where he was attending lacrosse practice:
"At 6:00 pm June 10, 2008 I was at Meadow Wood Regional Park at the juncture of Route 83 (JFK Expressway heading south into Baltimore) and the Baltimore Beltway (695) It is about 3 miles due south from my home. I was with a group of 13-14 y o Lacrosse Players at a team practice. The park is a large complex with five lighted playing fields.
"We had a VERY gusty Thunderstorm that included what I identify as a micro-burst.
"Vivid frequent lightning and thunder accompanied by a 3-4 minute period of VERY heavy straight line winds...I estimate 60-70 mph. We were huddled in a pavilion without sides and rain and pea-sized hail was coming in horizontally. We turned several picnic tables on their side and braced them to build a wall for protection.
"Several large sections of aluminum stands were blown over and three were tumbled across the field......moving as much as 200 feet. The "temporary" aluminium stands are about 8 feet high at the back, about 10 feet front-to-back, and maybe 20 feet long side-to-side.
"One large tree and severl medium and small trees were blown over in the park.
The light towers swayed significantly, but were undamaged. Good engineering and construction.
"I saw no evidence of rotation, either during the storm or afterward in the debris pattern. Straight line gusts were mostly from West-Southwest.
"Coming home up Falls Road (Md route 25) I was detoured by a downed tree. When I got home it appeared the storm was somewhat less in intensity but still significant, and my wife reported hail at home too."
I drove through that area about an hour later, on my way home from work. The Interstate (83) just north of the Beltway was covered in leaf debris, and just north of Timonium Road a large tree - probably an oak - had falled over the noise wall and onto the southbound lanes, blocking some traffic. Highway crews were already working to remove the tree. A good section of it was still draped over the wall this morning.
A private weather station nearby recorded wind gusts up to 30 mph around the time of this event. It seems likely the actual winds were considerably higher. This station's anemometer may be somewhat sheltered, as is mine, on the WeatherDeck in Cockeysville.
Anyway, so long as your house, your car and your skin are intact this morning, it's a relief to be rid of the heat and humidity of the last four days. Here's a map of some high temperature readings from yesterday.
The forecast is delightful - highs in the mid-80s today, with a promise they will fall slightly each day right through the weekend. Forecasters are talking about a high of just 79 degrees by next Tuesday as more cool, Canadian air slips down our way to reinforce the cooler (but still above normal for the date) air we're enjoying today.
We may see some showers and thunderstorms again late Friday or Saturday as this next front arrives.
Comments
Wow. That's some serious reports on incidents of these trees. I'm glad the heat wave cooled down now... :D Thanks a lot!
Posted by: Jessica | June 12, 2008 7:53 AM