The powerful thunderstorm that ripped through Greater Cincinnati on Aug. 11 was classified as a "derecho" by the National Weather Service. Cincinnati hasn't seen one in over a decade.
The region is still recovering from the widespread power outages and damages caused by Tuesday and Wednesday's storms. There may be more rain, accompanied by destructive winds, later on Aug. 13.
Here's what we know about the "derecho" that hit the region Aug. 11.
A derecho is a line of fast-moving thunderstorms with destructive winds, according to the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. Its winds are as powerful as those found in hurricanes and tornados, except derecho winds move in straight lines.
"Derecho" means "straight" in Spanish. These winds can travel more than 58 miles per hour, some even reach up to 130 miles per hour.
According to the National Weather Service, a derecho is a "somewhat rare type of severe thunderstorm." But when they do happen, it's usually most common in the Midwest. The last time a "derecho" storm hit Greater Cincinnati was in June 2012.
It started as thunderstorms developing near Chicago, before eventually sweeping across the Midwest and mid-Atlantic states: Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey. Its impacts were devastating – resulting in 22 deaths and approximately 3.7 millions of customers without power throughout the entire affected region.
Wind gusts from that storm reached speeds of 58 miles per hour and caused at least 240 miles of damage. The storm caused 1 million Ohioans to lose power.
Reporting from the Columbus Dispatch shows that it was one of the costliest natural disasters in the state, ranking alongside Hurricane Ike in 2008 and a tornado outbreak in Xenia in 1974. American Electric Power spent $66.8 million to repair damages from the derecho and the following storms, the largest recovery cost ever in Ohio
The most recent "derecho" storm is different from the previous one because it caused significantly less damage. This storm is "not even close to comparison" to the "derecho" storm of 2012, the weather service said, adding that there hasn't been any reports of injuries, yet.
More research is needed to understand more specific differences between the two "derecho" storms that hit Cincinnati, according to the weather service.
Right now, the weather service said it's more focused on keeping an eye on the weather right now: floodings in Indiana and Central Ohio, possible storms that may develop throughout Aug. 13.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: 'Derecho' storm confirmed in Cincinnati. The last one happened in 2012