THOUSANDS REMAIN WITHOUT POWER AFTER THE STORMS MOVED THROUGH SOUTHEASTERN SOUTH DAKOTA TUESDAY.
THE STORM SYSTEM IS NOW CLASSIFIED AS A DERECHO IN SOUTH DAKOTA.
DEBRIS WAS SCATTERED AS THE EXTENDED WIND STORM WHIPPED THROUGH THE SIOUX FALLS AREA YESTERDAY AFTERNOON.
METEOROLOGIST ROGER VACHALEK AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS A DERECHO IS A LONG-RUNNING, STRAIGHT-LINE WIND STORM ASSOCIATED WITH FAST-MOVING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS:
DERECHO OC….OR NOT. :22
SKIES TURNED BLACK, GREY, AND A MURKY GREEN DURING THE STORM THAT INCLUDED A SHORT DOWNPOUR.
THIS IS THE SECOND SIMILAR STORM TO HIT THE REGION SINCE MID-MAY.
IT WOULD BE THE THIRD SUCH STORM IN IOWA THE PAST THREE YEARS.
LOCALLY, THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ROLLED THROUGH THE METRO AREA AROUND 5 P.M.
A WIND GUST OF 59 MILES AN HOUR WAS RECORDED AT SIOUX GATEWAY AIRPORT.
AROUND 1000 RESIDENTS SERVED BY MID AMERICAN ENERGY LOST POWER, MOST OF THEM IN RIVERSIDE, THE WESTSIDE AND UNION COUNTY.
NO INJURIES OR OTHER SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE WAS REPORTED LOCALLY.
WARNING SIRENS SOUNDED TWICE TO ALERT RESIDENTS TO THE APPROACHING STORM AND THE POTENTIAL OF STRONG WINDS EXCEEDING 50 MILES AN HOUR.
