Uploaded May 2022 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
I filmed the first two clips before going inside as the derecho approached Watertown, South Dakota. The sirens heard faintly during clip one were sounding for a confirmed quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) tornado south of Watertown moving north. That tornado caused extensive damage in Castlewood.
Clip two was cut short as I had to get inside before the gas station staff closed and secured the doors. The man speaking in the last clip is one of several truck stop customers taking shelter from the storm. It's not me.
Our mobile mesonet truck (seen during clip two under the hotel sign) sampled a peak wind gust of 81 mph with a one-minute average wind speed of 60 mph as the leading edge of the derecho overtook the vehicle.
The National Weather Service in Aberdeen, South Dakota published the following event summery on the derecho and tornadoes that occurred: weather.gov/abr/StormsummaryMay122022
What is a derecho? weather.gov/lmk/derecho
What is a quasi-linear convective system? weather.gov/lmk/squallbow
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The mobile mesonet maximum and average wind speed graph can be viewed here: twitter.com/derek605wx/status/1524893152582283264?s=21&t=TA_RcIvJmmkBFvqCscgLgg
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Real-time dashcam video of the derecho overtaking our mobile mesonet vehicle: youtu.be/dYyxAVRtyj4
Dashcam timelapse footage: youtu.be/ridbDEXPJMY
Location: Stone's Truck Stop in Watertown, South Dakota (Codington County) at the intersection of Interstate 29 and Highway 212
Siren Model: Federal Signal 2001-130
Siren Signal: Steady/Alert
Camera: iPhone 13 Pro Max
My email and social media links can be found here: derek605wx.com
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Copyright © 2022 Derek Thompson
************************************
I filmed the first two clips before going inside as the derecho approached Watertown, South Dakota. The sirens heard faintly during clip one were sounding for a confirmed quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) tornado south of Watertown moving north. That tornado caused extensive damage in Castlewood.
Clip two was cut short as I had to get inside before the gas station staff closed and secured the doors. The man speaking in the last clip is one of several truck stop customers taking shelter from the storm. It's not me.
Our mobile mesonet truck (seen during clip two under the hotel sign) sampled a peak wind gust of 81 mph with a one-minute average wind speed of 60 mph as the leading edge of the derecho overtook the vehicle.
The National Weather Service in Aberdeen, South Dakota published the following event summery on the derecho and tornadoes that occurred: weather.gov/abr/StormsummaryMay122022
What is a derecho? weather.gov/lmk/derecho
What is a quasi-linear convective system? weather.gov/lmk/squallbow
*****
The mobile mesonet maximum and average wind speed graph can be viewed here: twitter.com/derek605wx/status/1524893152582283264?s=21&t=TA_RcIvJmmkBFvqCscgLgg
*****
Real-time dashcam video of the derecho overtaking our mobile mesonet vehicle: youtu.be/dYyxAVRtyj4
Dashcam timelapse footage: youtu.be/ridbDEXPJMY
Location: Stone's Truck Stop in Watertown, South Dakota (Codington County) at the intersection of Interstate 29 and Highway 212
Siren Model: Federal Signal 2001-130
Siren Signal: Steady/Alert
Camera: iPhone 13 Pro Max
My email and social media links can be found here: derek605wx.com
************************************
Copyright © 2022 Derek Thompson
************************************
