Microburst damages two businesses

The top of a storage building at Home Depot was ripped off by a microburst Sunday evening, June 4.

DAR/Mike Buhler

A microburst on the south side of Poplar Bluff caused structural damage and power outages on Sunday evening.

Wind damage was reported at Home Depot on South Westwood Boulevard and LeGrand Feed on Hudson Drive. The microburst ripped the roofs from a storage shed at Home Depot and appeared to capsize two outbuildings that were not anchored to the ground. No injuries have been reported at this time.

Ozark Border reported close to 1,500 outages in and around the area.

Two outbuildings are on their sides after a microburst. These downdrafts can produce winds equal to an EF-1 tornado.

DAR/Mike Buhler

Initial rumors said the damaged was caused by a tornado, but Butler County EMA Director Robbie Myers believed a microburst was the culprit.

“Those happen when weather cells are collapsing,” he explained.

The National Weather Service states: “A microburst is a localized column of sinking air (downdraft) within a thunderstorm and is usually less than or equal to 2.5 miles in diameter.” These downdrafts can reach speeds of up to 100 mph, equivalent to an EF-1 tornado, and are sometimes accompanies by rain or hail.