Scars from derecho still visible across Iowa one year later

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Scars from derecho still visible across Iowa one year later

It’s been one year since a devastating wind event tore through the middle of Iowa, and the state’s secretary of agriculture says signs of the derecho are still visible on many farms.

The scope of last year’s storm is estimated to be about 150 miles long and 30 miles wide stretching from Carrol County in western Iowa to Clinton County in far eastern Iowa

Mike Naig tells Brownfield if you know what to look for, you can still see damage to farms and communities.

“Homes that still need repaired, buildings that are still awaiting repair, or bins that still need to be fixed. And some of that is just the ability to get a contractor or get the materials you need.”

Iowa U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley says there’s a family who farms near Cedar Rapids still waiting to begin repairs.

“They’re having arguments with the insurance companies I guess before they do anything. So the windstorm goes through in one day, but these disasters for families are long-lasting.”

Grassley says it’s believed the 2020 derecho was the most-costly inland weather disaster in U.S. history, and he recently secured funding for those impacted in the Senate Ag Appropriations Bill.

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