Microburst Experience at Home

ARFlyer

ARFlyer

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ARFlyer
So we have had some storms moving through the area today. Well about 30 mins ago we got hit by what I believe was a microburst.

Sitting out at the pool we noticed that large heavy drops were starting to fall. About five mins into it the rain became a heavy downpour with no wind and the occasional lightning. Then in about 30 seconds the wind hit us like a wall. The tree crowns were almost horizontal and about to give way. The rain went horizontal and then up and over the trees if that makes sense. About a minute later it stopped to dead still, no rain and the clouds started to break up. Our neighbor said he saw the trees being blown straight down in a twisting motion before the wind went straight line winds. In all total it had started and ended in about 10mins if less.

I drove the county roads and saw that the blown limbs and leaves stopped about1/2mile from.our land. We have a weather station with a wind gauge but the power is out so i.will.post the wind data later. So if there are any english errors I apologize because im typing this on.my cell.
 
ARFlyer said:
We didn't have any trees get downed, but we have quite a few that are dead.
Click to expand...

We've recovered 4 trees from our neighbors yards. Ours went just north of our house. which unfortunately is the airport. The pic of the plane I was jokingly "selling" was a victim. We have about one a year, aside from a tornado at what seemed like arms length from me, a derecho (Hurricane Elvis) is the worst weather I've ever actually been in.
 
Had significant microburst strike my new clinic building project last week 10 minutes after I left site.

It pulled gravel off roof of the 3 story building and then put it in my parking lot breaking windows and ruining the paint job on 2 contractors vehicles.

Trees were trashed all around it, exhaust pipes from mechanical room were blown off then it rained inside them. Power poles 200 yards away were snapped. Quite the impressive little burst!

I would have been sick if my beater Landcruiser had gotten damaged
 
I got hit by a microburst while on a motorcycle in the middle of Nevada. There was a dissipating t-storm with not too bad steady wind. Suddenly there was a curving wall of dust and tumbleweeds blasting toward the highway. Next thing I knew, there was about a 50 knot crosswind and visibility was down to about 10 yards. I got blown off the highway and barely managed to keep the bike upright. A minute later it was dead calm.

I waited it out and 20 minutes later another one happened. It was just an amazing weather lesson.

Oh, and if you ever get the chance to go across Nevada on Hwy. 50, do it.
 
It sounds like outflow from a microburst. If it got cold suddenly, it's a good sign that's what you were experiencing.
 
Exactly, it was the outflow. On the second one, I watched it form as the dust stirred up about 500 yards away and started to move outward in a circle. As the wind hit me, it occurred that huddled underneath a set of powerlines was not a great place to be right then.
 
I was caught in the storms that rolled through Maryland/DC/NoVA area a few weeks ago that knocked all our power out and stuff. I was actually outside walking to another bar and out of nowhere it was just so freakin' windy. People were running and screaming (wusses). Debris was going everywhere. It felt like it was blowing at least 60 mph or so. I had to put my back to it and fight to stay upright (I wasn't that drunk!). We just walked to the next bar. Came back out two minutes later (the bar stank), and the wind had somewhat subsided. I could see the ominous clouds in the dark. Spooky. Spent the next 20 minutes watching the trees sit sideways in horizontal rain from the comfort of a bar.

The point of my story was that I believe I was caught in a microburst/derecho.
 
Have posted the story of being microbursted on final approach in a 172 before with a CFI and his kids on board. Full power, climb deck angle, and hope the airplane makes the threshold. I will be quite happy never to repeat the experience if possible, the rest of my flying days.

Sounds like you either got a microburst or were on the leading edge of a gust front. Similar mechanisms, and either way, amazingly violent.

All that rising air has to come back down eventually... Thunderstorms are amazing.
 
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