National Weather Service new destructive, severe thunderstorm alert explained
The alert is specifically for thunderstorms, such as last year s derecho, with winds over 80 miles per hour and/or baseball sized hail. Author: Jenna Webster Updated: 6:38 PM CDT July 23, 2021
DAVENPORT, Iowa The National Weather Service announced it s expanding its alert warning categories to include destructive, severe thunderstorms, beginning Aug. 2.
A destructive thunderstorm is defined as having winds over 80 miles per hour and/or hail at 2.75 in diameter (the size of a baseball). Last summer s derecho would be part of this category and people in the affected area would have gotten the alert.