It never rains, but it pours. Just two days after we closed up the Red Cross shelter for people affected by the Bladensburg microburst, we had to open several more due to another windstorm. I'm managing one for 150 people, including about 60 kids, most of them very young.This time it was a derecho, and in the same area the microburst hit, wind gusted up to 79 mph -- once again ripping the roofs off some buildings. [Videos after the jump.]
In this area alone, over a million people lost power. At the same time temperatures have hit the triple-digits. Not-so-fun fact: The disaster type that kills the most people in this area is the heat. (Or the humidity, depending on how you look at it.)
DisasterMan lost power too, and while I've got a million batteries, flashlights, etc., I've got nothing to replace air conditioning! (D'oh!) One advantage about working at a Red Cross shelter is that at least they have AC here.Can't complain, though. Many people at the shelter have it a lot worse. Some lived in wind-damaged buildings, and others in one that had a unrelated fire.
Click here for damage pictures.
Radar of the derecho's sweep
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A party tent & people blown over
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