Gustnado At Commonwealth And Greenbriar

It has been several months since this sign was damaged by high winds. I like the way it turned out, an expressionistic sculpture commemorating a moment of dramatic weather. Perhaps the Virginia Department of Highways has left it in place as a sort of monument? They more likely spent all their budget on snow removal last winter.



The weather reports called the wind events "downbursts", which are localized areas of damaging winds caused by air rapidly flowing down and out of a thunderstorm. The smallest ones are called "microbursts". There was some controversy about this call, apparently insurance companies pay out more for tornado damage than for downburst damage. I heard a local weatherman was grumbling that the companies had applied some pressure to the media concerning the name of the event.



The propellor shape of the signs makes me think that the wind was certainly spiraling when it hit.