One of the most cataclysmic natural events of the last 100 years in the BWCAW occurred on July 4, 1999 when a straight-line windstorm caused incredible damage across this area. This storm, known as a derecho, was one of the most intense and long-lived derecho’s on record. This presentation will explore the meteorology of derecho’s, examine how these storms develop, and what the impacts are. We will look specifically at the experience of the Gunflint Trail and examine long-term impacts such as the Ham Lake fire.
Jim Block, is a Certified Consulting Meteorologist, one of only 285 active in the world, with over 40 years of experience in commercial meteorology, and he was elected as a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society in 2010. He is the Chief Meteorological Officer at DTN, a Minneapolis based company whose weather division is the largest commercial weather business in the world. Since 2017, he has worked with several UN agencies and the Green Climate Fund to develop climate smart programs that bring enhanced weather information to farms in developing countries to increase food production and mitigate climate change.
photo courtesy of the Tiffany’s
All presentations will be held in Chik-Wauk Nature Center. Masks are mandatory to wear inside all buildings at Chik-Wauk.
The presentation is free and open to the public, donations are always appreciated.
