In like a lion ...

The old tale that March sometimes “comes in like a lion, out like a lamb” has held true in at least in part. Last week, our area was hit with some strong storms that wreaked havoc. The National Weather Service began giving advisories early last week, stating that a strong cold front was approaching the Ohio Valley and could potentially cause severe storm outbreaks, high winds, and the possibility of tornadoes. On Wednesday, March 1, the lion awoke.

The days prior to last Wednesday were warmer than average; people were enjoying the beautiful, sunny days. Late Tuesday night, the winds began to pick up as the front approached. Our area was placed in a marginal risk zone for severe storms, which were predicted to hit early Wednesday morning and last throughout the day.

Around 8 a.m., a wave of strong storms hit with a fury. Strong winds and torrential rains hit the area, bringing pea-sized hail in some places. The storm lasted just a few minutes, but in the course of it, a unique weather event likely occurred that caused widespread damage.

During the storm, barns, trees, outbuildings and homes were severely damaged. Roofs were blown off homes in Sharpsburg, scattering debris across yards, into trees and across the roadways. Barns were completely flattened and tin was strewn through the fields. In the Wyoming community, a cattle trailer was picked up and tossed into the home of Ricky Hart. Luckily, Hart and his family weren’t home, escaping serious injury.

Moore’s Ferry, in Northeastern Bath County near the Licking River, was also hit hard by the storm. Trees were blown down and roofs damaged, but the most impressive damage was to a newly built metal barn that had nearly been split in half by the high winds. Most people assumed small tornadoes had struck our area, but the National Weather Service offered a different conclusion.

The March 1 storm damage in Bath County was created by straight line winds, and not tornadoes. This is evident in the debris patterns at each site. A tornado leaves debris scattered and twisted in all directions, while straight line winds scatters the debris in one path. These high winds are caused by a unique weather event during a thunderstorm called a downdraft. Rapidly descending rain and rain cooled air in small pockets within a storm cell are pushed downward by the upper atmospheric imbalance of pressure and temperature changes created by the storm. As these pockets of air rush downward, they collide with the ground and scatter outward, creating winds sometimes in excess of 100 mph. The strongest part of these downdrafts are usually the leading edge.

The storms last week also brought back memories of the devastating tornado outbreak of March 2, 2012. Since those tornadoes, we have become more aware of our weather and take severe storms a bit more seriously. The American Red Cross has some tornado safety tips at http://www.redcross.org/, so take a minute and be prepared.

Spring can indeed bring beautiful, sunny days, but can also bring unstable and wild weather. Keep your eyes on the skies and stay safe out there.