Microburst - Danger To Buildings

Danger To Buildings

• On July 9, 2012, a wet microburst hit an area of Spotsylvania, VA near the border of the city of Fredericksburg, VA, causing severe damage to two buildings. One of the buildings was a children's cheerleading center. Two serious injuries reported.

• On June 22, 2012, a wet microburst hit the town of Bladensburg, MD, causing severe damage to trees, apartment buildings and local roads. It affected nearby areas such as Cheverly, Hyattsville, and portions of Northeast DC. The storm caused over 40,000 power outages and 2 minor injuries. An apartment complex in Bladensburg's roof was torn off, causing evacuation and temporary housing in nearby Bladensburg High School.

• On September 8, 2011, at 5:01 PM, a dry microburst hit Nellis AFB, Nevada causing several aircraft shelters to collapse. Multiple aircraft were damaged and eight people were injured.

• On September 22, 2010 in the Hegewisch neighborhood of Chicago, a wet microburst hit, causing severe localized damage and localized power outages, including fallen-tree impacts into at least four homes. No fatalities were reported.

• On September 16, 2010, just after 5:30 PM, a wet macroburst with winds of 125mph hit parts of Central Queens in New York City, causing extensive damage to trees, buildings and vehicles in an area 8 miles long and 5 miles wide. Approximately 3,000 trees were knocked down by some reports. There was one fatality when a tree fell onto a car on the Grand Central Parkway.

• On June 24, 2010, shortly after 4:30 PM, a wet microburst hit the city of Charlottesville, Virginia. Field reports and damage assessments show that Charlottesville experienced numerous down bursts during the storm, with wind estimates at over 75 miles per hour. In a matter of minutes, trees and downed power lines littered the roadways. A number of houses were hit by trees. Immediately after the storm, up to 60,000 Dominion Power customers in Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County were without power.

• On June 11, 2010, around 3:00 AM, a wet microburst hit a neighborhood in southwestern Sioux Falls, SD. It caused major damage to four homes, all of which were occupied. No injuries were reported. Roofs were blown off of garages and walls were flattened by the estimated 100 mph winds. Cost of repairs could be $500,000 or more.

• On May 2, 2009, the lightweight steel and mesh building in Irving, Texas used for practice by the Dallas Cowboys football team was flattened by a microburst, according to the National Weather Service.

• On March 12, 2006, a microburst hit Lawrence, Kansas. 60 percent of the University of Kansas campus buildings sustained some form of damage from the storm. Preliminary estimates put the cost of repairs at between $6 million and $7 million.