The material in this paper was jointly researched, compiled, and written by J.S. Held. It was originally published for attendees of the 31st Conference on Severe Local Storms in October 2024.

In about 15 minutes, Tempe recorded nearly three-quarters of an inch of rain. A supercell thunderstorm forms when wind speed and direction change with height, a phenomenon called wind shear.

Wind damage, whether from straight-line winds, a microburst, or a tornado, is impactful. But the damage from straight-line winds and microbursts is often mistaken for a tornado. When a storm does ...