Monday’s long lived, straight-lined windstorm barreled across the Midwest with the velocity of a hurricane.
In Iowa, the windstorm cut a wide path of destruction across the entire state – uprooting trees, flattening millions of acres of crops, severely damaging homes and vehicles, and flipping semi-trucks over on the interstate. At one point it left over 400,000 Iowans without power.
On this edition of River to River, Alan Czarnetzki provides a scientific analysis of the derecho’s 14-hour, 770 mile blitz across South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, and Ohio. Iowa Public Radio’s Kate Payne, Katie Peikes and Katherine Perkins join the program to report on damage and recovery updates from across the state.
Listeners also share their derecho experience and where they are in the recovery.
Matthew Alvarez produced this story as part of the America Amplified initiative using community engagement to inform and strengthen local, regional and national journalism. America Amplified is a public media initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Guests:
- Alan Czarnetzki, professor of meteorology, University of Northern Iowa
- Kate Payne, reporter, Iowa Public Radio
- Katie Peikes, reporter, Iowa Public Radio
- Katherine Perkins, program director, Iowa Public Radio
