After a decade, the Derecho of 2012 is still one of the most talked-about weather events in Central Virginia because of its widespread impacts.
Ten years ago, was a noticeably hot Friday with extreme humidity. Highs that day were easily above 100 for much of the region. Roanoke saw the warmest morning low temperature ever recorded, 84. Both Danville and Roanoke tied record highs that afternoon at 104 and Lynchburg reached 103. Heat and humidity add fuel to storms; on this day there was an abundance of storm fuel.
A thunderstorm complex developed in Ohio and Northern Illinois in the morning and began to dive Southeast over the Ohio Valley by afternoon. The atmosphere was in rare form with excessive heat and humidity along the system's path, which allowed this complex to intensify very quickly. It was unknown how long this line would hold together or if it would keep strength over the Appalachian Mountains, but it eventually did bypass the mountains losing very little strength.
The winds started picking up in Virginia around dinnertime and the worst of the damage was in the evening. Winds were above 80 mph at times as the derecho moved across the Commonwealth.
In the 24 hours after the storm, AEP reported 184,000 customers without power, including 75% of customers in the Lynchburg area. Some did not get power back for two weeks. Seasoned AEP workers reported it as the worst damage they've ever seen. Damage in Lynchburg cost the city $5.3 million.
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