Severe Weather

Diogenes Ayala was named Iowa's Emergency Manager of the Year in 2022 for his response to a Madison County tornado that left six residents dead. In December 2024, Ayala was appointed to serve on the National Advisory Council for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but a few weeks later the entire council was dismissed by the Department of Homeland Security. Ayala discusses this brief appointment and what the future holds for FEMA. Then, Iowa Flood Center Director Larry Weber joins to discuss further investments in flood forecasting.

It was the most expensive thunderstorm event in U.S. history. On this episode, three perspectives on the monster storm.

One year ago, more than a dozen Iowa counties ended up under a Presidential Disaster Declaration after heavy rains pushed raging rivers out of their banks. In two of the hardest-hit areas in northwest Iowa, people reflect on the pain and progress of the past 12 months.

Plus, a long-ranging investigative report was recently on the Davenport building collapse that occurred two years ago.

The National Weather Service was crucial in getting people timely information before a tornado decimated the town of Greenfield. A year later, what do the Trump Administration's cuts to the service mean for the service?

An EF-3 tornado destroyed homes, businesses and lives in Minden on April 26, 2024. The traumatic experience shifted the perspective of the community's long-time mayor.