View source for Ohio Fireworks Derecho

{{short description|Weather event}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox derecho
| image location = Derecho DECCA radar 1969-07-04.jpg
| alt = Picture of the bow echo derecho
| image name = The Ohio Fireworks Derecho was one of the first [[bow echo]]s and [[line echo wave pattern]]s to be radar-documented.
| date = July 4, 1969
| duration= 
| track = 
| wind = 104
| windloc = [[Sandusky, Ohio]]
| windref = 
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| tornadoes = 
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| fatalities = At least 40<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/jul41969page.htm|title = The Ohio Fireworks Derecho}}</ref>
| damage = 
| areas = 
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The '''Ohio Fireworks Derecho''' (or also the '''Ohio Independence Day derecho of 1969'''), was a severe [[wind]] event that took place during the evening hours of July 4 (American [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]]) 1969. It affected the northern half of the state of [[Ohio]] as well as portions of [[Pennsylvania]], southern [[Michigan]], northern [[West Virginia]] and extreme southwestern [[New York (state)|New York]]. It was one of the numerous events of that type that hit a region in the United States during its national holiday, the others being in [[Independence Day Derecho of 1977|1977]], 1980, and [[Boundary Waters-Canadian Derecho|1999]].

==Event==
[[Image:Ohio Fireworks Derecho.jpg|thumb|right|Track of the Ohio Fireworks Derecho]]
The event started out during the afternoon hours as a line of [[thunderstorms]] developed in southern [[Michigan]]. At about 6 p.m., as it reached the southern suburbs of the [[Detroit]] [[Metro Detroit|Metro]] area in [[Lenawee County, Michigan|Lenawee]] and [[Monroe County, Michigan|Monroe]] counties, it quickly became a major [[derecho]]. It entered northwestern [[Ohio]] near the [[Toledo, Ohio|Toledo]] area packing winds that locally exceeded {{convert|100|mph|km/h|0}} which downed scores of trees all over the city.

Moving at a fairly quick pace, the [[mesoscale convective vortex|mesoscale]] then hit the [[Sandusky, Ohio|Sandusky]] and [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]] areas creating extensive damage to some of its suburbs, including [[Lakewood, Ohio|Lakewood]], [[Rocky River, Ohio|Rocky River]] and [[Linndale, Ohio|Linndale]]. Major damage was also reported over communities right along the [[Lake Erie]] shoreline. Winds also peaked near {{convert|100|mph|km/h|0}} in Cleveland, causing extensive power outages. An F3 [[tornado]] was confirmed in [[Flat Rock, Michigan]] on the day of this event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/custom/5633030 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225919/http://www.tornadohistoryproject.com/custom/5633030 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |title=Maps and Statistics |publisher=Tornado History Project |access-date=2016-05-14}}</ref>

At about midnight, after affecting northeastern Ohio and the [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania|Pittsburgh]] area, the storm weakened and dissipated near the borders of Pennsylvania, [[West Virginia]] and [[Maryland]].

==Aftermath==
This derecho event, although short-lived in comparison with other such events, was one of the deadliest ever. Eighteen people were killed in Ohio alone, including seven in Cleveland. Many of them were from toppled trees. At least three people who were watching holiday [[fireworks]] from small boats on Lake Erie drowned after being thrown off their boats by the high winds.<ref>[http://www.amnh.org/explore/science-bulletins/(watch)/earth/documentaries/derecho American Museum of Natural History Science Bulletins]</ref> Over 100 boats were destroyed or flipped over on Lake Erie.<ref>[http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/jul41969page.htm The Ohio Fireworks Derecho<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> There were also injuries reported in western Pennsylvania.

In 2009, a temporary exhibit stood in Edgewater Park (part of the Lakefront Reservation of the [[Cleveland Metroparks]]<ref name="Ewinger">{{cite web|url=http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/06/cleveland_metroparks_state_of_ohio.html|title=Cleveland Metroparks, State of Ohio deal means new management, new vision for lakefront parks (videos, photo gallery)|last=Ewinger|first=James|date=June 6, 2013|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|publisher=cleveland.com - Cleveland Live LLC|access-date=13 June 2013}}</ref>) in Cleveland commemorating the event.<ref>{{cite news |first=Michael |last=Scott |title=Cleveland Metroparks unveil Lake to Lake Trail at Big Creek Reservation: 1969 storm recalled |url=http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/07/cleveland_metroparks_unveil_la.html |work=[[The Plain Dealer]] |date=2009-07-16 |access-date=2009-07-18 }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of derecho events]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/jul41969page.htm NOAA Webpage on the derecho]
* [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8_tS2Vw13FcC&dat=19690705&printsec=frontpage The Toledo Blade's coverage of the aftermath, July 5, 1969]
* {{cite news |first=Michael |last=Heaton |title=40 years ago, holiday storm ravaged Northeast Ohio |url=http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2009/07/40_years_ago_holiday_storm_rav.html |work=[[The Plain Dealer]] |date=2009-07-02 |access-date=2009-07-07 }}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1969-07-04 Derecho}}
[[Category:1969 meteorology|Derecho, 07-04]]
[[Category:Natural disasters in Ohio|Derecho, 1969-07-04]]
[[Category:Natural disasters in Pennsylvania|Derecho, 1969-07-04]]
[[Category:Derechos in the United States]]
[[Category:History of Cleveland|Derecho, 1969-07-04]]
[[Category:1969 natural disasters in the United States|Derecho, 07-04]]
[[Category:History of Toledo, Ohio|Derecho, 1969-07-04]]
[[Category:1969 in Ohio|Derecho, 07-04]]
[[Category:July 1969 in the United States|Derecho, 04]]