1 year after derecho, damage scars still linger
By
Rina Torchinsky, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Aug 13, 2021 4:18 PM EDT
One year after the Iowa derecho, some buildings still need significant repairs.
One year after one of the most destructive derechos on record shredded a wide swath of the Midwest, there are many signs of recovery in some of the worst-hit places, but some buildings are still in need of repairs.
The Midwest derecho of 2020 heaved severe thunderstorms across eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois, carrying winds as high as 140 mph and covering a nearly 800-mile stretch in the United States in 14 hours. The intense thunderstorms left mobile homes, apartment buildings, barns and power poles in disarray. Derechos of this caliber in this region occur roughly once in a decade, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
People in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which was hit especially hard, are still picking up the pieces -- replanting fallen trees and remodeling a flooded and windblown church.
“It’s mind-boggling that you could lose that many trees in a city this size. And we feel it," Shannon Ramsay, founder of Trees Forever, told AccuWeather National Weather reporter Emmy Victor. "We lost 65 to 70 percent of our tree canopy."
Rod Pierce looks at grain drying bins on his farm that were damaged in the derecho earlier this month, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, near Woodward, Iowa. Pierce is among hundreds of Iowa farmers who are still puzzling over what to do next following the Aug. 10 derecho, a storm that hit several Midwestern states but was especially devastating in Iowa as it cut west to east through the state's midsection with winds of up to 140 mph. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Trees Forever, a nonprofit organization, is working to replant trees in parks and neighborhoods. The city selected the organization to lead the reforestation effort and dedicated $1 million to the cause. So far, Trees Forever has planted more than 20,000 trees, Ramsay said.
“After the event, the derecho, there were some people who had the resources to remove the trees that were blown over and replant even on their own properties very quickly. But not everyone can afford that,” said city manager Jeff Pomeranz.
Meanwhile, a church in Cedar Rapids is still on the road to recovery a full year later. During the derecho, powerful winds ripped through the 400-seat sanctuary at River of Life church. Several inches of rain filled the foyer.
“We heard about strong winds; we were prepared for them. As far as we knew, we were prepared,” said Steve Irwin, the church's lead pastor. “But we had no idea what was coming.”
The top of a grain storage bin damaged from the derecho earlier this month sits in the middle of a bean field near the Rod Pierce farm, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, near Woodward, Iowa. Pierce is among hundreds of Iowa farmers who are still puzzling over what to do next following the Aug. 10 derecho, a storm that hit several Midwestern states but was especially devastating in Iowa as it cut west to east through the state's midsection with winds of up to 140 mph. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Debris was shifted from the less affected half of the building to keep the church open. The church adapted, adding multiple services to make the small space work, Irwin told AccuWeather.
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The remodel could take another seven to 12 months, but Irwin said he’s hopeful for what’s to come.
“What we had before was wonderful and it carried much history … and value to our community and our church,” Irwin said. “But what we are going to be able to do with increasing our reach, through our food pantry, with the remodel we’re going to do, we’re going to put a coffee shop in the foyer, that can actually reach people.”
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News / Weather News
1 year after derecho, damage scars still linger
By Rina Torchinsky, AccuWeather staff writer
Updated Aug 13, 2021 4:18 PM EDT
One year after the Iowa derecho, some buildings still need significant repairs.
One year after one of the most destructive derechos on record shredded a wide swath of the Midwest, there are many signs of recovery in some of the worst-hit places, but some buildings are still in need of repairs.
The Midwest derecho of 2020 heaved severe thunderstorms across eastern Iowa and northwestern Illinois, carrying winds as high as 140 mph and covering a nearly 800-mile stretch in the United States in 14 hours. The intense thunderstorms left mobile homes, apartment buildings, barns and power poles in disarray. Derechos of this caliber in this region occur roughly once in a decade, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
People in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which was hit especially hard, are still picking up the pieces -- replanting fallen trees and remodeling a flooded and windblown church.
“It’s mind-boggling that you could lose that many trees in a city this size. And we feel it," Shannon Ramsay, founder of Trees Forever, told AccuWeather National Weather reporter Emmy Victor. "We lost 65 to 70 percent of our tree canopy."
Rod Pierce looks at grain drying bins on his farm that were damaged in the derecho earlier this month, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, near Woodward, Iowa. Pierce is among hundreds of Iowa farmers who are still puzzling over what to do next following the Aug. 10 derecho, a storm that hit several Midwestern states but was especially devastating in Iowa as it cut west to east through the state's midsection with winds of up to 140 mph. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Trees Forever, a nonprofit organization, is working to replant trees in parks and neighborhoods. The city selected the organization to lead the reforestation effort and dedicated $1 million to the cause. So far, Trees Forever has planted more than 20,000 trees, Ramsay said.
“After the event, the derecho, there were some people who had the resources to remove the trees that were blown over and replant even on their own properties very quickly. But not everyone can afford that,” said city manager Jeff Pomeranz.
Meanwhile, a church in Cedar Rapids is still on the road to recovery a full year later. During the derecho, powerful winds ripped through the 400-seat sanctuary at River of Life church. Several inches of rain filled the foyer.
“We heard about strong winds; we were prepared for them. As far as we knew, we were prepared,” said Steve Irwin, the church's lead pastor. “But we had no idea what was coming.”
The top of a grain storage bin damaged from the derecho earlier this month sits in the middle of a bean field near the Rod Pierce farm, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020, near Woodward, Iowa. Pierce is among hundreds of Iowa farmers who are still puzzling over what to do next following the Aug. 10 derecho, a storm that hit several Midwestern states but was especially devastating in Iowa as it cut west to east through the state's midsection with winds of up to 140 mph. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Debris was shifted from the less affected half of the building to keep the church open. The church adapted, adding multiple services to make the small space work, Irwin told AccuWeather.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
The remodel could take another seven to 12 months, but Irwin said he’s hopeful for what’s to come.
“What we had before was wonderful and it carried much history … and value to our community and our church,” Irwin said. “But what we are going to be able to do with increasing our reach, through our food pantry, with the remodel we’re going to do, we’re going to put a coffee shop in the foyer, that can actually reach people.”
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