The 1991 West Virginia derecho was a serial derecho that started in Arkansas in the early morning hours of April 9, 1991 and made its way northeast, finally dying out over Pennsylvania late that evening.
Two people were killed and 145 were injured in the event, mainly from falling trees, flying debris, and mobile homes and trailers being overturned. Most of the destructive damage occurred in Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, western Maryland, and Western Pennsylvania.
In West Virginia alone, there were 8,000 insurance damage claims for homes and businesses. Over 200,000 people lost power in the derecho. Many people experienced flickering lights and power surges. This derecho was the worst severe weather event for West Virginia since the Super Outbreak of April 3, 1974.
Famous quotes containing the word west:
“We joined long wagon trains moving south; we met hundreds of wagons going north; the roads east and west were crawling lines of families traveling under canvas, looking for work, for another foothold somewhere on the land.... The country was ruined, the whole world was ruined; nothing like this had ever happened before. There was no hope, but everyone felt the courage of despair.”
—Rose Wilder Lane (1886–1968)