Ohio Fireworks Derecho

Last updated
Ohio Fireworks Derecho
Derecho DECCA radar 1969-07-04.jpg
The Ohio Fireworks Derecho was one of the first bow echos and line echo wave patterns to be radar-documented.
Date(s)July 4, 1969
Peak wind gust  (measured)104 mph (167 km/h; 46.5 m/s)(Sandusky, Ohio)
FatalitiesAt least 40 [1]

The Ohio Fireworks Derecho (or also the Ohio Independence Day derecho of 1969), was a severe wind event that took place during the evening hours of July 4 (American Independence Day) 1969. It affected the northern half of the state of Ohio as well as portions of Pennsylvania, southern Michigan, northern West Virginia and extreme southwestern New York. It was one of the numerous events of that type that hit a region in the United States during its national holiday, the others being in 1977, 1980, and 1999.

Contents

Event

Track of the Ohio Fireworks Derecho Ohio Fireworks Derecho.jpg
Track of the Ohio Fireworks Derecho

The event started out during the afternoon hours as a line of thunderstorms developed in southern Michigan. At about 6 p.m., as it reached the southern suburbs of the Detroit Metro area in Lenawee and Monroe counties, it quickly became a major derecho. It entered northwestern Ohio near the Toledo area packing winds that locally exceeded 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) which downed scores of trees all over the city.

Moving at a fairly quick pace, the mesoscale then hit the Sandusky and Cleveland areas creating extensive damage to some of its suburbs, including Lakewood, Rocky River and Linndale. Major damage was also reported over communities right along the Lake Erie shoreline. Winds also peaked near 100 miles per hour (161 km/h) in Cleveland, causing extensive power outages. An F3 tornado was confirmed in Flat Rock, Michigan on the day of this event. [2]

At about midnight, after affecting northeastern Ohio and the Pittsburgh area, the storm weakened and dissipated near the borders of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.

Aftermath

This derecho event, although short-lived in comparison with other such events, was one of the deadliest ever. Eighteen people were killed in Ohio alone, including seven in Cleveland. Many of them were from toppled trees. At least three people who were watching holiday fireworks from small boats on Lake Erie drowned after being thrown off their boats by the high winds. [3] Over 100 boats were destroyed or flipped over on Lake Erie. [4] There were also injuries reported in western Pennsylvania.

In 2009, a temporary exhibit stood in Edgewater Park (part of the Lakefront Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks [5] ) in Cleveland commemorating the event. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland</span> City in Ohio, United States

Cleveland, officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in Northeast Ohio along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the U.S. maritime border with Canada and lies approximately 60 miles (97 km) west of Pennsylvania. Cleveland ranks as the most populous city on Lake Erie, the second-most populous city in Ohio, and the 54th-most populous city in the U.S. with a 2020 population of 372,624. The city anchors the Cleveland metropolitan area, the 33rd-largest in the U.S. at 2.18 million residents, as well as the larger Cleveland–Akron–Canton combined statistical area, the most populous in Ohio and the 17th-largest in the country with a population of 3.63 million in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Erie</span> One of the Great Lakes in North America

Lake Erie is the fourth-largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and also has the shortest average water residence time. At its deepest point Lake Erie is 210 feet (64 m) deep, making it the only Great Lake whose deepest point is above sea level.

The heat wave of 1995 derecho series are a series of derechos that occurred from July 11 through July 15, 1995, primarily impacting areas from Montana to the US Midwest, and the Great Lakes Region.

The Southern Great Lakes Derecho of 1991 is the derecho event that occurred on July 7 and 8, 1991. It lasted 17 hours and raced from southeast South Dakota through southern Michigan before dying out over Western Pennsylvania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York State Labor Day derechos</span> Derecho events in New York state

The New York State Labor Day Derechos were two derecho events that occurred on Labor Day, September 7, 1998. One derecho moved through northern and central New York state, and the other would start in southeastern Michigan and move through northeastern Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Long Island. A spokesman for the New York State Emergency Management Office, estimated that 300,000 residences had lost electricity, 7 persons died and 80 were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho</span> Weather event

The Late-May 1998 tornado outbreak and derecho was a historic tornado outbreak and derecho that began on the afternoon of May 30 and extended throughout May 31, 1998, across a large portion of the northern half of the United States and southern Ontario from southeastern Montana east and southeastward to the Atlantic Ocean. The initial tornado outbreak, including the devastating Spencer tornado, hit southeast South Dakota on the evening of May 30. The Spencer tornado was the most destructive and the second-deadliest tornado in South Dakota history. A total of 13 people were killed; 7 by tornadoes and 6 by the derecho. Over two million people lost electrical power, some for up to 10 days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Metroparks</span> Public park system in Greater Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland Metroparks is an extensive system of nature preserves in Greater Cleveland, Ohio. Eighteen reservations, which largely encircle the city of Cleveland, follow along the shore of Lake Erie and the rivers and creeks that flow through the region. Referred to unofficially as the 'Emerald Necklace', the network of parks spans over 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) and includes over 300 miles (480 km) of walking, bicycle, and horse trails as well as numerous picnic areas, nature education centers, golf courses, and countless fishing spots. In addition, the district includes the zoo in Cleveland. Four of the reservations are adjacent to Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

The Cleveland Memorial Shoreway, often shortened to "the Shoreway", is a limited-access freeway in Cleveland and Bratenahl, Ohio. It closely follows the shore of Lake Erie and connects the east and west sides of Cleveland via the Main Avenue Bridge over the Cuyahoga River. The entire length of the Shoreway is part of the Lake Erie Circle Tour (LECT) and all but the very eastern end of the Shoreway is part of State Route 2. The Shoreway also carries parts of Interstate 90 and State Route 283 on its eastern side, and parts of U.S. Route 6 and U.S. Route 20 on its western side. The Cleveland neighborhood of Detroit-Shoreway is named after the two roads that form the northern border, the Shoreway and Detroit Avenue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Lakefront Station</span> Railway station in Cleveland

Cleveland Lakefront Station is an Amtrak train station at North Coast Harbor in Cleveland, Ohio. The current station was built in 1977 to provide service to the Lake Shore Limited route, which was reinstated by Amtrak via Cleveland and Toledo in 1975. It replaced service to Cleveland Union Terminal. Lakefront Station is located in downtown Cleveland near the Lake Erie waterfront, adjacent to the Cleveland Memorial Shoreway and in the immediate vicinity of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Great Lakes Science Center, the Steamship William G. Mather Museum and Cleveland Browns Stadium. The station has had little to no renovation since its opening.

The heat wave of 2006 derecho series were a set of derechos — severe winds with powerful thunderstorms — that occurred on July 17–21, 2006. The first storms hit a wide swath of north-central and northeastern North America that stretched from the Upper Midwest through much of Ontario and into the northeastern United States. Another round struck the middle Mississippi River Valley, including two derechos that hit St. Louis, Missouri. The storms left more than three million people without power, some more than once and some for weeks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1924 Lorain–Sandusky tornado</span>

The 1924 Lorain–Sandusky tornado was a deadly F4 tornado which struck the towns of Sandusky and Lorain, Ohio on Saturday, June 28, 1924. It remains the deadliest single tornado ever recorded in Ohio history, killing more people than the infamous 1974 Xenia and 1985 Niles-Wheatland tornadoes combined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port of Cleveland</span> Port in United States

The Port of Cleveland is a bulk freight and container shipping port at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River on Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is the third-largest port in the Great Lakes and the fourth-largest Great Lakes port by annual tonnage. Over 20,000 jobs and $3.5 billion in annual economic activity are tied to the roughly 13 million tons of cargo that move through Cleveland Harbor each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiskey Island (Cleveland)</span> Peninsula in Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Whiskey Island is a peninsula at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River at Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. Its current configuration was created in 1827 when the river's mouth was moved to its present location. Part of the city's Cuyahoga Valley neighborhood, the peninsula is 1 mile (1.6 km) long and 0.3 miles (0.48 km) at its widest, bounded by Lake Erie to the north, West 54th Street on the west (roughly), and the Cuyahoga River to the south and east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">October 2010 North American storm complex</span> Extratropical cyclone

The October 2010 North American storm complex is the name given to a historic extratropical cyclone that impacted North America. The massive storm complex caused a wide range of weather events including a major serial derecho stretching from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes, a widespread tornado outbreak across the Southeast United States and Midwest and a blizzard across portions of the Canadian Prairies and the Dakotas. The cyclone's lowest minimum pressure of 955.2 mb (28.21 inHg) made it the second most intense non-tropical system recorded in the continental United States (CONUS). The lowest confirmed pressure for a non-tropical system in the continental United States was set by a January 1913 Atlantic coast storm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail</span>

The Cleveland Foundation Centennial Lake Link Trail, originally known as the Lake Link Trail, is a cycling, hiking, and walking trail located in the city of Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. Owned by the city of Cleveland and maintained by Cleveland Metroparks, the trail runs along the former track bed of the Cleveland and Mahoning Valley Railroad. The trail is named for The Cleveland Foundation, a local community foundation which donated $5 million toward the trail's construction. The southern leg of the 1.3-mile (2.1 km) trail opened in August 2015, and the northern leg in August 2017. The middle leg will begin construction once the Irishtown Bend hillside is stabilized. A bridge connecting the trail to Whiskey Island will begin construction in Spring 2019 and will be completed in early Summer 2020.

SS <i>Margaret Olwill</i> Steam-powered wooden barge on Lake Erie

SS Margaret Olwill was a shipping vessel originally constructed in 1887 to transport goods on Lake Erie. It was rebuilt twice to new specifications. It was wrecked in 1899 in an unexpected June storm with the loss of at least eight lives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Euclid Creek</span> River in Ohio, United States

Euclid Creek is a 43-mile (69 km) long stream located in Cuyahoga and Lake counties in the state of Ohio in the United States. The 11.5-mile (18.5 km) long main branch runs from the Euclid Creek Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks to Lake Erie. The west branch is usually considered part of the main branch, and extends another 16 miles (26 km) to the creek's headwaters in Beachwood, Ohio. The east branch runs for 19 miles (31 km) and has headwaters in Willoughby Hills, Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edgewater, Cleveland</span> Neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Edgewater is a neighborhood on the West Side of Cleveland, Ohio. Located along the Lake Erie shoreline, it is situated approximately five miles west of downtown Cleveland. It extends east-to-west from the neighborhood of Detroit–Shoreway to the streetcar suburb of Lakewood and north-to-south from Lake Erie to the neighborhood of Cudell.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">November 2020 North American storm complex</span>

The November 2020 North American storm complex was a major early-season snowstorm that impacted most of the Ohio Valley from November 30–December 2 with heavy snow, gusty winds, and near-whiteout conditions. The system originated from a weak gulf low off the coast of Texas on November 29, which began to move northeastward onto land the next day. It then began to strengthen, as well as slowing its movement down, resulting in heavy, wind-driven snow for prolonged periods of time in the Ohio Valley. It also triggered a major lake-effect snow event from December 1–2 as the system stalled over Lake Ontario, resulting in additional heavy snowfall. The storm system was also responsible for a severe thunderstorm outbreak in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, causing 22 severe thunderstorms and 5 tornadoes. In total, the system is estimated to have caused at least $100 million in damages. It was unofficially named Winter Storm Dane by The Weather Channel.

References

  1. "The Ohio Fireworks Derecho".
  2. "Maps and Statistics". Tornado History Project. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  3. American Museum of Natural History Science Bulletins
  4. The Ohio Fireworks Derecho
  5. Ewinger, James (June 6, 2013). "Cleveland Metroparks, State of Ohio deal means new management, new vision for lakefront parks (videos, photo gallery)". The Plain Dealer . cleveland.com - Cleveland Live LLC. Retrieved 13 June 2013.
  6. Scott, Michael (2009-07-16). "Cleveland Metroparks unveil Lake to Lake Trail at Big Creek Reservation: 1969 storm recalled". The Plain Dealer . Retrieved 2009-07-18.