A derecho (pronounced similar to "deh-REY-cho") is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Although a derecho can produce destruction similar to the strength of tornadoes, the damage typically is directed in one direction along a relatively straight swath., "Derecho" is a Spanish word meaning "right," "direct," or "straight ahead." Derecho criteria While there was widespread damage reported from the storm, we did not hit the criteria for a derecho., The National Weather Service is warning that a derecho with winds of up to 105 mph could blast across North Dakota and Minnesota Friday night into Saturday morning. Ahead of the potent line of storms, the Storm Prediction Center (SPC) upgraded the severe risk from a level 3 of 5 "enhanced" outlook to a level 4 of 5 "moderate" risk for portions , A derecho (pronounced deh-REY-cho) is a widespread, long-lived windstorm linked to a line of strong thunderstorms. The word comes from Spanish, meaning “straight,” which refers to the straight , A derecho is a widespread windstorm. We dive into how they form, where they form and when they form most often. Posted 2025-06-09T09:36:33+00:00 - Updated 2025-06-09T09:52:43+00:00, Derechos are fast-moving bands of thunderstorms with destructive winds. The winds can be as strong as those found in hurricanes or even tornadoes! Unlike hurricanes and tornadoes, these winds follow straight lines. When you think of storms with strong winds, you probably think of spinning storms like hurricanes or tornadoes..