On August 10–11, 2020, a severe derecho swept across the Midwest
CPI-Adjusted Estimated Loss in U.S. Dollars
Damage was severe across much of the affected area, as wind speeds of 80 miles per hour were common. The greatest damage occurred in eastern Iowa, and northern Illinois, where multiple tornadoes touched down.
According to the National Weather Service Widespread, destructive straight line winds blew across central Iowa during the day on August 10, 2020. The highest official wind gusts measured was 99 mph at the Marshalltown Airport with an unofficial wind gust of 106 mph at Le Grand (east of Marshalltown). The strongest winds were between the Highway 30 and Interstate 80 corridor (including, but not limited to the Des Moines metro, Ames, Newton, Marshalltown, Tama/Toledo, Carroll) from central Iowa eastward into east central Iowa and northern Illinois.
Do you know what a derecho is?
A derecho produces a swath of particularly damaging thunderstorm winds (specifically, wind gusts of at least 58 mph along most of its length with several well-separated 75 mph or greater gusts) over an area at least 250 miles long. These are primarily classified as straight-line winds rather than tornadic. Wind speeds in a derecho can exceed 100 mph which is equivalent to that of an EF-1 tornado but over a vastly larger area than a tornado would impact. Tornadoes can also be embedded within derechos and produce concentrated areas of even more intense damage. Derechos develop in an environment with very warm and moist air at the surface, colder air aloft, and moderate to strong winds at upper levels of the atmosphere. Northern Illinois and northern Indiana have long been known as a corridor of enhanced derecho activity.
If you live in an area between Chicago, IL and Wisconsin that was impacted by the storm DO NOT WAIT! Call us immediately at 1-800-792-0212 or schedule a FREE Storm Damage Inspection.
