Over 10 million acres of Iowa corn and soybean crops destroyed in derecho
Damaged grain bins at the Heartland Co-Op grain elevator on August 11 in Luther, Iowa. Photo: Daniel Acker/Getty Images
More than 10 million acres of soybean and corn crops in Iowa are devastated after a powerful derecho storm swept through the state on Monday, the Washington Post reports.
Why it matters: Iowa is the top corn producer in the U.S. At least 43% of the state's cropland is damaged, per Radio Iowa.
- Drive-through coronavirus testing sites in Davenport, Marshalltown and Cedar Rapids were closed on Monday and Tuesday following the storm, the Post reports.
- “The amount impacted is like one purchase from China," Jan Dutton, chief executive of private forecasting group Prescient Weather, told the Post.
Details: NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory defines a derecho as "a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms." Such a weather event can make its way through hundreds of miles in a matter of hours.
The state of play: More than 700 instances of damage or severe weather caused by the derecho were reported to the National Weather Service, per the Post. The storm left behind a trail of destruction of 700 miles long from Nebraska to Indiana.
- Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) issued a disaster proclamation for 20 counties.
- Winds up to 112 mph were recorded in Midway, Iowa and 100-mph gusts were recorded in Hiawatha.
