A rare phenomena, called a derecho, occurred from northwestern PA to the NJ coast this past Wednesday, with winds between 61 - 89 mph. With all the problems hanging over us in these trying times, here's one more. A derecho is a long-lived line of severe thunderstorms that travels a single direction for more than 250 miles. The weather phenomena has wind gusts of 58 mph or higher, typically causing straight-line wind damage.

Derechos are sometimes referred to as inland hurricanes due to the hurricane like conditions that occur over land with this weather phenomenon.

One of the most notable derechos in recent memory occurred in 2012, which started in Indiana and blasted eastward through the mid-Atlantic. Severe damage was reported all across the region, including in Washington, D.C.