Power lines are down across the Midwest and mid-Atlantic after winds sped up to 90 mph during Friday night's storm. (Photo courtesy of Twitter user @Smoflake88)
For ice cream vendors selling frozen treats and cold water on the beaches near Atlantic City, N.J., it's a great day for business.
Thousands flocked to the beach Saturday to escape the heat after a super derecho knocked out the power of more than three million people across the Midwest and mid-Atlantic regions.
James Diecidue, who sells ice cream along the beach in Margate City, N.J., said the beaches are extremely crowded. Many of his customers keep asking him if the city has regained power yet.
"A lot of people are buying water and ice cream here because a lot of people still don't have power at home," he said.
Read also: "Derecho" of Power Storms Slam 700 Miles of the U.S.
While those affected by the storm along the coast have the option to cool down with an ocean minutes away, other areas aren't so lucky.
Authorities in non-coastal regions have had to think of other ways to keep their community cool in this weekend's scorching temperatures.
Prince George's County in Maryland opened cooling centers where local residents without power can refuge from the 100-degree weather that plagued their area today.
Scott Peterson, the county's deputy manager of communications, said they've provided information about where to locate cooling centers through social media and online press releases that people can view with their smart phones if they don't have power.
"We've been going through every means necessary to make sure they know we have places they can go to cool down," Peterson said. "We're highlighting what's still open with power in the region like malls and hotels. Everyone's working together."
Emergency Management Coordinator Emily Ashley of Chesterfield County, Va., said the town's local libraries will keep their doors open past normal hours, and though usually closed on Sundays, will also open tomorrow until 6 p.m.
Ashley said dealing with the significant power outages has been difficult because critical buildings that would normally act as a refuge are the ones that are without power.
The Virginia Department of Emergency Management also created a Tumblr blog that lists open cooling centers by county, damage reports and power restoration updates.
According to electric companies, it could be a week before power is restored in some areas, especially major cities like Washington, D.C.
So far this year California has seen 1,569 wildfires, 85 percent more than in an average year.
The Memorial Day weekend will begin cool, windy and rainy in New England and part of the mid-Atlantic.
GOES-East failed again late Tuesday. It is one of the main satellites meteorologists use for the eastern part of the United States and the tropical Atlantic.
The tornado tore through a path 17 miles long on Monday and had wind speeds as high as 200 mph.
On the two-year anniversary of the EF-5 tornado that leveled Joplin, Mo., the town has deployed assistance to Moore, Okla.
Severe weather has finally died down in the Northeast following more than 100 damage reports from Tennessee to New York.
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | N/A | |
| Low | N/A | |
| Precip | N/A |
Washington, DC (1925)
97 degrees.
Pennsylvania (1984)
Over $150,000 damage in Monroe and Pike
counties from a thunderstorm downburst
(originally thought to be tornadoes).
Northeast (1989)
More rain in an already wet month. Monthly
totals topped 11 inches at New York City,
9 inches at Bridgeport, CT and 8 inches at
Baltimore (all three records for May).
Comments
Comments left here should adhere to the AccuWeather.com Community Guidelines. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.