My my my Derecho....

[Space Monkey]

Builds character. Flying checks in radarless 210s in the Midwest was certainly a good way to learn about when to say "no, thanks". Occasionally the extremely hard and unpleasant way. Lost some good, serviceable underwear that way.

That said, it certainly seems to get worse every year. Looking forward to the future hellscape when flying from St. Louis to Tulsa in August is something only a movie hero with a world to save would undertake.

Sure does... I've been seeing more and more +50K and +60K tops at +44.0N Lats the last few years (that's a long way from the ITCZ, btw). Not even particularly weird anymore. Also seeing week after week after week of +20°∆ ISA. Atmospheric energy is increasing.

 

[Van_Hoolio]

I'm in central Iowa. KIKV airport nearby recorded a 78 mph gust. Our power was out for over 9 hours but we had basically no damage. I went out with bamboo and twine to straighten out our sunflowers. My folks got their power back today, but my brother's place is still without.

For fun I re-watched the 10pm news from the night before from the DVR. Storm hit at 11am the next day. The mega quadruple platinum diamond medallion doppler storm force team 69 forecast™ DID NOT predict anything like what happened, 12 hours out at least.

 

[Richman]

I'm in central Iowa. KIKV airport nearby recorded a 78 mph gust. Our power was out for over 9 hours but we had basically no damage. I went out with bamboo and twine to straighten out our sunflowers. My folks got their power back today, but my brother's place is still without.

For fun I re-watched the 10pm news from the night before from the DVR. Storm hit at 11am the next day. The mega quadruple platinum diamond medallion doppler storm force team 69 forecast™ DID NOT predict anything like what happened, 12 hours out at least.

If you think network or cable news is bad, check out your local news.

In “small markets” you can almost make a drinking game out of it. They are especially bad for misspelled graphics, and sometimes it’s a college town for goodness sake.

 

[derg]

Well, if you'd build your houses out of concrete, like any rational, modern human, you'd be better off.

The reason everything looks like it got blown to flinders in the mid-west after every thunderstorm is because everything they build there would fall down if you pissed against the side of it.

STORY TIME!

 

[///AMG]

I'm in central Iowa. KIKV airport nearby recorded a 78 mph gust. Our power was out for over 9 hours but we had basically no damage. I went out with bamboo and twine to straighten out our sunflowers. My folks got their power back today, but my brother's place is still without.

For fun I re-watched the 10pm news from the night before from the DVR. Storm hit at 11am the next day. The mega quadruple platinum diamond medallion doppler storm force team 69 forecast™ DID NOT predict anything like what happened, 12 hours out at least.

Yeah, my Cedar Rapids fam has said they have been without power for 50+ hrs and aren't realistically expecting to get it back until Friday. Think they have been camping in the meantime. Really rough situation for a lot of folks I imagine. Glad you were spared some of the pain.

 

[killbilly]

We still lived in a mid-rise condo building in DC when the last one hit there in 2012 - we were on the Capitol Hill grid so I think we lost power once in 7 years.

Now that we're in the NoVA burbs we're seriously considering putting a generator in, because we have lots of tall, beautiful, mature trees and strung power lines everywhere. Our little corner of our neighborhood is on a different piece of the power grid than the rest of the neighborhood which also means we lose power when others don't.

We don't draw a lot of juice so I think we could get a lot out of a modest unit. Dad's got a Generac system on his place in FL and swears by it.

 

[Richman]

STORY TIME!

No story, really, other that just living out there.

The newsbots LOVE to show midwestern towns flattened by tornadoes. The fact is its all stick construction out there. And a lot of it is CHEAP-O-LA. Even in places like Texas, where you'd think they'd know better.

The Romans figured out concrete 2000 years ago. It ain't hard.

Nice concrete slab, some steel rebar, some cinderblocks and some roofing with steel straps that wasn't nailed together by the lowest bidder, and you've got yourself a house that'll last though most anything.

 

[jrh]

No story, really, other that just living out there.

The newsbots LOVE to show midwestern towns flattened by tornadoes. The fact is its all stick construction out there. And a lot of it is CHEAP-O-LA. Even in places like Texas, where you'd think they'd know better.

The Romans figured out concrete 2000 years ago. It ain't hard.

Nice concrete slab, some steel rebar, some cinderblocks and some roofing with steel straps that wasn't nailed together by the lowest bidder, and you've got yourself a house that'll last though most anything.

I'm no expert, but I'd bet this has something to do with insulation and/or economics.

Is there a good way to insulate concrete construction? Where I live, we'll regularly get 100+ degree temps during the peak of summer and below zero temps during the worst days of winter.

I also wonder about concrete being overkill. In another thread somebody brought up the idea of turning a Boeing cockpit into a roll cage. Same idea here. Concrete might be many times stronger than wood, but reality is that it still wouldn't withstand a direct hit from a tornado, and stick built construction is adequate for the common threats here, like regular thunderstorms and blizzards.

Like most things in life, there's probably reasons why things are done the way they're done.

 

[Boris Badenov]

Always reasons, not always good reasons. We build our walls out of sticks for the same reason we build our roofs out of asphalt. To wit, it's cheaper. Of course, building out of higher quality materials is more cost effective in the long run, but our nation is like actively opposed to long term thinking.

 

[Richman]

Always reasons, not always good reasons. We build our walls out of sticks for the same reason we build our roofs out of asphalt. To wit, it's cheaper. Of course, building out of higher quality materials is more cost effective in the long run, but our nation is like actively opposed to long term thinking.

The nice thing about stick construction is that it produces a nice debris pattern for the newsbots.

 

[Van_Hoolio]

If you think network or cable news is bad, check out your local news.

In “small markets” you can almost make a drinking game out of it. They are especially bad for misspelled graphics, and sometimes it’s a college town for goodness sake.

Central Iowa ranks #68 in the nation in TV Designated Market Area based on Nielsen Ratings. Two out of the three run neck-in-next in news ratings and try to outdo each other with their product. Production quality at the major network affiliates here is good. Just saying that no matter how much they like to toot their own horns about their weather forecasting ability they will not always get it right.

 

[Apophis]

I'm no expert, but I'd bet this has something to do with insulation and/or economics.

Is there a good way to insulate concrete construction? Where I live, we'll regularly get 100+ degree temps during the peak of summer and below zero temps during the worst days of winter.

I also wonder about concrete being overkill. In another thread somebody brought up the idea of turning a Boeing cockpit into a roll cage. Same idea here. Concrete might be many times stronger than wood, but reality is that it still wouldn't withstand a direct hit from a tornado, and stick built construction is adequate for the common threats here, like regular thunderstorms and blizzards.

Like most things in life, there's probably reasons why things are done the way they're done.

Yeah, the reason is because it’s dirt freaking cheap to build a house out of matchsticks with cheap asphalt shingle roofs. You gotta cut as many corners as possible when you’re a builder constructing 600 new homes in these crappy new neighborhoods that keep popping up all around me.

 

[Space Monkey]

Always reasons, not always good reasons. We build our walls out of sticks for the same reason we build our roofs out of asphalt. To wit, it's cheaper. Of course, building out of higher quality materials is more cost effective in the long run, but our nation is like actively opposed to long term thinking.

FTFY

Always reasons, not always good reasons. We build our walls out of sticks for the same reason we build our roofs out of asphalt. To wit, it's cheaper. Of course, building out of higher quality materials is more cost effective in the long run, but our nation is like actively opposed. to long term thinking.

FTFY more.

 

[guywhoflies]

Good article on derechos and why they are so hard to forecast.

Why Derechos Are So Devilishly Difficult to Predict