A derecho (pronounced duh-RAY'-choh) may sound like a delicious new item on the menu at Taco Bell but it is in reality a dangerous storm of massive proportions, according to the Associated Press.
The National Weather Service is using the highest level of alerts for residents in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio. The storm, which carries winds over 58 miles per hour and a front at least 240 miles long, is dangerous because of the straight-line winds that reach very high speeds and cause massive damage. The storms will most likely cause power outages and generate tornadoes, according to Bill Bunting, operations chief for the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center. The wind storms will be followed by oppressive heat, the Associated Press reports.
Bunting told the Associated Press that the storms will also be capable of producing large hail and lightning.
"It's a pretty high threat," Bunting said. "We don't want to scare people, but we want them to be aware. By the time you see the dark sky and distant thunder you may have only minutes to get to safe shelter."
A derecho that ripped through the Midwest last year caused over $1 billion in damages along a wide swath of area from Chicago to Washington D.C. 13 people died from the storm with an additional 34 people passing away in the following days from a combination of severely warm weather and power being knocked out by the storms, according to the Associated Press.
The worst of the storm is expected to hit western Iowa and northern Illinois and Indiana in the late afternoon Wednesday. For residents of Ohio the most dangerous parts of the storm won't be until after dark, according to Fox News.
This derecho is not expected to be as severe but the storm does still pack a risk for injuries and loss of life. The storm will continue into the Mid-Atlantic and hit Washington and Philadelphia on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
