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| Date(s) | August 10-11, 2020 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 14 hours |
| Track length | 770 miles () |
| Peak wind gust (measured) | 112 mph (180 km/h; 50.1 m/s) (Midway, Iowa) |
| Damage costs | Widespread property and plant damage, some severe. Millions subject to power outage. |
| Areas affected | South Dakota (SE), Iowa, Nebraska (NE), Wisconsin, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana (N), Michigan, Kentucky, Ohio |
The August 2020 Midwest derecho, a high-wind type of storm, is a weather event which took place beginning on August 10, 2020 across the Midwestern United States. Moderate to severe damage occurred across the affected area, with the greatest damage occurring in Iowa and northern Illinois. Wind speeds of 70 miles per hour (115 km/h) were prevalent across much of the affected area, with maximum recorded wind gusts of 112 miles per hour (180 km/h). The impact subjected millions to utility disruptions and hundreds of thousands to property damage.
Storm Overview
Beginning in the early morning, the event storm system developed in southeastern South Dakota and pushed its way east into Iowa, followed by the southern Great Lakes region. At peak, the wind gusts matched the sustained winds of a major hurricane, as such, the storm damage is more akin to that of a hurricane than a tornado. The peak of the derecho developed as the storm system pushed into central Iowa, losing strength after passing through Illinois. The storm caused several thunderstorm warnings, tornado warnings, and high wind warnings, the latter of which are issued when sustained winds of 40–73 miles per hour (65–115 km/h) are expected.
Impact
Wide-scale utility disruption and property damage occurred across the affected area. Overall, more than a million customers (residential and commercial) have been left without power across the affected area. In Iowa, over 500,000 across the state had power outages, peaking at 132,000 in the Des Moines metropolitan area according to local utility company Mid-American Energy. The company says it may take days of round-the-clock shifts before power is restored to many of them. Many Iowa towns and cities advised residents not to travel due to damage. Many city-wide and county-wide states of emergency have been declared. In Omaha, Nebraska, over 50,000 were left without power.
Types of damage
Damage by the storm's winds caused wide-scale damage to plants, particularly trees, snapping large limbs, ripping off branches, and even felling or uprooting whole trees, often damaging homes and vehicles. Many farmers in Iowa found their crops flattened and destroyed by the storm and empty grain bins imploded. A local hockey arena had its roof torn off. Large vehicles and trailers were blown over or sent flying. In Marshalltown, Iowa, hundreds of parked cars had their windows blown out. Some reports have shown loose wood debris being embedded into the side of buildings.
References
- ^ "Derecho Tracked 700+ Miles Across the Midwest". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ "Powerful derecho leaves path of devastation across Midwest". AP NEWS. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ "'Derecho' Storm Packing Hurricane Force Winds Rips Across Iowa Monday". who13.com. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ "Destructive derecho, a line of storms with 100 mph winds, slams Chicago and Midwest". NBC News. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- ^ "Midwest Derecho Causes Widespread Damage; More Than 1 Million Homes and Businesses Lose Power". The Weather Channel. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- Cappucci, Matthew; Freedman, Andrew; Samenow, Jason (10 Aug 2020). "Destructive derecho blasts Chicago with winds over 70 mph; more than 1 million lose power in Upper Midwest". The Washington Post. Retrieved 11 Aug 2020.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Eller, Philip Joens, Andrea May Sahouri and Donnelle. "Derecho sends straight-line winds through Iowa, leaving hundreds of thousands without power". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Gothner, Chris (2020-08-11). "MidAmerican says it could be days until some Iowans get power". KCCI. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- "UPDATE: Some MidAmerican Customers Could be Without Power for 'Several' Days". who13.com. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- "Iowans left to clean destruction left by Monday storms". KCCI. 2020-08-10. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
- Lundgren, Harper. "OPPD: Power outages to be resolved by Tuesday morning for most, Wednesday for some". www.wowt.com. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)