Weather Quiz

 

True or False.

August is Washington, D.C.’s second hottest month of the year during an average year.

Dangers of Lightning

 

Severe Weather Reports - August 4, 2022 (Source: NOAA)

People should assume every thunderstorm is dangerous whether or not it meets “severe” criteria.  A thunderstorm officially becomes “severe” when it contains any of the following: wind gusts of at least 58 mph; hail 1” in diameter or greater; or a tornado.  However, all thunderstorms are dangerous since they contain lightning and heavy rain.  Although uncommon, lightning fatalities do occur and there are some recent tragic examples in the D.C. Metro Area.

2022: A severe weather outbreak occurred on Thursday, August 4, with a slew of wind damage reports, along with a waterspout over the lower Chesapeake Bay that moved ashore in Somerset County, Maryland as a tornado.  Sadly, four people were struck by lightning as they visited Lafayette Park across from the White House.  Three fatalities ensued and a fourth person remains hospitalized.  Since lightning is not one of the criteria that makes a thunderstorm “severe,” these fatalities are not listed as having been caused by “severe weather.”

2020: Late-night thunderstorms developed on June 3 and continued into June 4.  Lightning struck two military personnel near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  Serious but non-life threatening injuries occurred.  Lightning is a safety risk during any thunderstorm irrespective of the time of day.

1998: A powerful squall line of thunderstorms developed on Saturday, June 13, and passed through the D.C. Metro Area during the afternoon.  Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued with power outages and reported wind damage.  However, what proved to be most dangerous wasn’t the wind, but the lightning.  Approximately 66,000 people gathered at RFK Stadium for a concert and not everyone was able to seek shelter in time.  A total of 11 lightning-related injuries were reported but, fortunately, no fatalities occurred. 

1991: May 17 was a typical spring day in the Nation’s Capital.  Warm and humid conditions combined with scattered afternoon thunderstorms.  However, what happened that afternoon was far from ordinary.  The St. Albans School in Northwest Washington, D.C. hosted Landon for a lacrosse game.  The peaceful afternoon was interrupted by thunderstorms.  As the crowd rushed to seek shelter, a 15-year-old Landon freshman was fatally struck by lightning.  This tragedy underscored the danger of huddling under a tree during a thunderstorm.

Dangerous August Rain Events

 

August has seen a number of significant rain events over the last two decades.  Some were due to decaying tropical systems, while others occurred during severe weather events. 

2021: Last August finished as D.C.’s ninth wettest on record with a total of 9.07”.  Almost half of that rain fell on two days.  A total of 2.38” of rain fell at National Airport making last August 14 D.C.’s second wettest on record.  Another 2.28” occurred on August 20 and was the third wettest such day in the Nation’s Capital.  Both rainfall totals coincided with severe weather in parts of the D.C. Metro Area.

2020: The tropical Atlantic gets a lot busier during the month of August and the 2020 season had more named tropical systems than any other on record.  The second hurricane of the season, Isaias, was a Category 1 hurricane when it made landfall in North Carolina on August 3.  It brought severe weather and record rainfall to the D.C. Metro Area on August 4.  A total of 2.48” fell at National Airport, 1.87” at Dulles Airport and 2.32” at BWI Airport.  Several confirmed tornadoes also occurred in southern Maryland, central Virginia and on the Eastern Shore from the remnants of Isaias.

2018: A severe weather outbreak on August 21 brought reports of wind damage across parts of Maryland and Virginia.  While no tornadoes occurred, National Airport had a daily rainfall record of 2.46”.  This was significant since it was one of 24 days in 2018 that an inch or more of rain fell in the Nation’s Capital.  Washington, D.C. had its wettest year on record in 2018 with 66.28”.

2011:  Hurricane Irene made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on August 27 and brought significant impacts to the Mid-Atlantic Region and northeastern United States.  A two-day storm total of 3.83” was recorded at National Airport on August 27-28.  It contributed more than a third of D.C.’s August 2011 rainfall total of 8.92”.  August 2011 was D.C.’s rainiest August since 1967, according to NOAA.