A drone image shows damaged grain bins at the Heartland Co-Op grain elevator Aug. 11 in Luther, Iowa. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said early estimates indicate that 10 million acres, nearly a third of state land used for crops, were damaged when a powerful storm battered the region a day earlier. (Daniel Acker/Getty Images) A quarter of a million Iowans […]
A drone image shows damaged grain bins at the Heartland Co-Op grain elevator Aug. 11 in Luther, Iowa. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said early estimates indicate that 10 million acres, nearly a third of state land used for crops, were damaged when a powerful storm battered the region a day earlier. (Daniel Acker/Getty Images)
While the storm did garner some coverage, mostly via wire stories, its impact remains underreported days later. The dispatches, focused on crop damage and electrical outages, have been shouted down by the coverage of the veepstakes and the fate of college football. Conservatives’ consternation over the new Cardi B single has gotten more attention than the Iowans left without power or food for what may be weeks. And all this, as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc throughout the state.
The storm was called a derecho, a term for sustained straight-lined winds. As local TV news anchor Beth Malicki tweeted Wednesday, “This isn’t a few trees down and the inconvenience of power out. It’s like a tornado hit whole counties.”
Gusts of 112 mph were recorded in Linn County. Read more HERE.
Helpful science tips in playful videos that explain principles we all deal with to understand our climate crisis. The series is the creation of Olivia Baaten.
