A microburst hit Manchaug Pond early Sunday morning leaving a wake of destruction. Hitting at 3:30 a.m., the eight minute storm brought high wind, heavy rain, thunder, lightening and hail. Residents in areas 2, 3 and 4 were hard especially hit, waking up to lawns and driveways littered with branches and leaves, ripped off roof shingles and ridge vents, upturned and broken lawn furniture, overturned and sunken small boats and jetskis, a few twisted or submerged docks not to mention over a dozen large trees uprooted and laying on scenic Manchaug Road and Torrey Road.
This severe, quick hitting storm – Force 10 at least on the Beaufort (wind speed) Scale – had to have had wind speeds of at least 60 miles/hour to cause this damage.
The sound of chain saws and leaf blowers continues to fill the air!
More info on Microbursts:
http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/svr/comp/out/micro/anat.rxml
To check out the Beaufort Scale (wind speed):
http://www.unc.edu/~rowlett/units/scales/beaufort.html
A site on weather for the kids:
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/epz/kids/kidswx.shtml