000 NOUS41 KBOX 191857 PNSBOX CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-201900- PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA 257 PM EDT THU JUL 19 2012 ...MICROBURST /STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE/ CONFIRMED IN ARLINGTON...MIDDLESEX COUNTY MASSACHUSETTS... LOCATION...ARLINGTON IN MIDDLESEX COUNTY MASSACHUSETTS DATE...JULY 18, 2012 ESTIMATED TIME...6 PM EDT ESTIMATED MAXIMUM WIND SPEED...70 TO 80 MPH PATH LENGTH...APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE * FATALITIES...0 * INJURIES.....0 * THE INFORMATION IN THIS STATEMENT IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE PENDING FINAL REVIEW OF THE EVENT(S) AND PUBLICATION IN NWS STORM DATA. ...SUMMARY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON MA HAS CONFIRMED A MICROBURST /STRAIGHT LINE WIND DAMAGE/ IN ARLINGTON... MIDDLESEX COUNTY MASSACHUSETTS ON JULY 18, 2012. A NATIONAL WEATHER METEOROLOGIST SURVEYED THE DAMAGE IN ARLINGTON THIS MORNING AND CONFIRMED NUMEROUS TREES WERE DOWNED BY STRAIGHT LINE WINDS WITH THE FOCUS OF THE DAMAGE CENTERED OVER EASTERN PORTIONS OF ARLINGTON. THIS INCLUDES THE INTERSECTION OF MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE AND BROADWAY EASTWARD TO ROUTE 16...THE CAMBRIDGE CITY LINE. IN ADDITION... MULTIPLE HOMES AND AUTOMOBILES WERE DAMAGED BY DOWN TREES. THIS INFORMATION CAN ALSO BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV/BOX. FOR REFERENCE... A MICROBURST IS A STRONG AND RELATIVELY SMALL AREA OF RAPIDLY DESCENDING AIRSTREAM BENEATH A THUNDERSTORM. A MICROBURST IS DIFFERENTIATED FROM A COMMON THUNDERSTORM DOWNDRAFT BECAUSE THE WINDS IT PRODUCES HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE DAMAGE ON OR NEAR THE GROUND. SURFACE WIND DAMAGE PATTERNS HAVE SHOWN THAT WHETHER THE WINDS ARE STRAIGHT OR A LITTLE BIT CURVED ...THEY TEND TO SPREAD OUT OR DIVERGE CONSIDERABLY AS THEY REACH THE SURFACE. CONVERSELY DAMAGE PATTERNS RESULTING FROM A TORNADO GENERALLY CONVERGE TOWARD A NARROW CENTRAL TRACK. IN ADDITION A MICROBURST IMPACT AREA IS TYPICALLY LESS THAN 2 1/2 MILES WIDE AND PEAK WINDS LASTING LESS THAN 5 MINUTES. MICROBURSTS MAY INDUCE DANGEROUS HORIZONTAL/VERTICAL WIND SHEARS...WHICH CAN ADVERSELY AFFECT AIRCRAFT PERFORMANCE AND CAUSE PROPERTY DAMAGE. STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS ARE GENERALLY ANY WIND THAT IS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH ROTATION...USED MAINLY TO DIFFERENTIATE THEM FROM TORNADIC WINDS. $$ NOCERA