SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — AccuWeather meteorologists are alerting people and businesses across the Upper Midwest about the risk for widespread destructive winds, damaging hail, flash flooding and isolated tornadoes as a result of a dangerous and rapidly intensifying line of severe thunderstorms across South Dakota.
Quotes from AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter:
“These thunderstorms have already produced wind gusts above 90 mph and tennis ball-sized hail and appear capable of producing widespread severe weather as they traverse across Southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota, northeastern Nebraska and much of northern Iowa this afternoon into Tuesday evening.
“This is likely a derecho in the making – a rare thunderstorm related windstorm which is known for their ability to produce widespread damaging winds over several hundred miles. This is a dangerous and dynamic situation and may result in destructive winds causing significant damage and widespread power outages as the thunderstorm complex progresses further southeast into tonight. One of the unique aspects of this type of severe thunderstorm complex is that the threat for wind damage is much more widespread than what typically occurs with most severe thunderstorms.
“Typically, severe thunderstorm wind damage tends to be much more localized to a part of a community, whereas this cluster of thunderstorms may create widespread damage over a much larger area and raises the risk for significant power outages, some of which could be long-lasting in the hardest-hit communities.”
AccuWeather meteorologists highlight that widespread wind gusts may exceed 70 mph with an AccuWeather Local StormMax
of 100 mph.
Said Porter, “There may also be damage to cell phone towers, which can create challenges in communicating during and after the storm. People in the path of this storm are recommended to fully charge their cell phones and other important electronics prior to the storm’s arrival.
Click here for updates from AccuWeather.com.
(AccuWeather.com contributed this report.)
