Deadly Derecho Damaged Millions of Acres of US Crops, 'Angels' Help Survivors 'Just to Show the Love of Christ'
The powerful storm that blew through the Midwest earlier this week brought massive damage to farmland in Iowa and killed at least two people.
Vast fields of corn and soybean were damaged, including nearly a third of the state's farmland - that's about 10 million acres.
The storm called a derecho, carried hurricane-strength winds in excess of 100 miles an hour. It spread its fury from eastern Nebraska across Iowa and parts of Wisconsin and Illinois, covering nearly 800 miles in its 14-hour march.
As much as 43 percent of those crops were damaged or destroyed as well as grain bins, barns, and homes.
The Iowa Corn Growers Association said it is too soon to accurately describe how much of this year's crop was lost.
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Bins were full as farmers were hanging on to last fall's crops in hopes of improved prices. The USDA estimates about 2.8 billion bushels remain in storage.
Crop insurance programs will help with corn in the field as will a USDA indemnity program. Federal disaster aid could be coming if a presidential disaster is declared.
As CBN News reported, MidAmerican Energy said nearly 101,000 customers in the Des Moines area alone were without power after the storm moved through the area.
'Angels' in Blue Outfits
The storm also struck hard in Cedar Rapids. One neighborhood there received a blessing from a group of volunteers.
"I saw their blue outfits, and I thought, angels," Tracy Pratt told television station KCRG.
The strangers may not have been physical angels with wings, but all the residents saw the volunteers from Christian Aid Ministries as being sent from the Almighty anyway.
The group from the nonprofit organization helped all of the residents clear the storm debris away from their homes and yards for free.
"We're doing it just to show the love of Christ to those who are in need," said Tyler Smidt, a volunteer with Christian Aid Ministries. "This could've been us down there in Wellman and Kalona, and we sure would've liked help, so we decided we should come up here and try to give a helping hand too where we can."
It was help given during a time of need that this one neighborhood won't forget for a long time.
"They were doing God's work. That's how they describe it, and that's how I'd describe it," Tracy's husband, Richard, told the television station. "That kind of selfless generosity is something the world could use more of."
Storm Blamed in Two Deaths
A 63-year-old bicyclist died after he was struck by one of several large trees that fell Monday on a bike trail outside of Cedar Rapids near Ely, the Linn County sheriff's office said. Thomas Rowland of Solon, Iowa, suffered extensive injuries and died at the scene, the office said.
In Fort Wayne, Indiana, Isabel E. Atencio died at a hospital after firefighters pulled her from the debris inside her mobile home after high winds rolled it onto its side Monday night, officials said. Firefighters found the 73-year-old woman under debris inside her toppled trailer and discovered that she was clutching a 5-year-old boy believed to be her grandson, said Adam O'Connor, deputy chief of the Fort Wayne Fire Department. The boy had minor injuries.
"It's awful. I was thinking about that all last night," O'Connor said.
The Windy City Lives Up to Its Nickname
Twitter user Adam Howard posted a video showing the wind blowing the roof off of a building in Chicago.
"In Chicago just north of Addison and Lake Shore. Roof starting to blow off! Video cred to my friend Jasmine. Stay safe everyone!" he wrote.
User Anthony Vale replied by posting a time-lapse video of the storm bearing down on The Windy City.
"Look at it devour the entire city," he wrote.
Look at it devour the entire city! pic.twitter.com/IbiNyic61b
— Anthony Vale (@AnthonyVMurphy) August 10, 2020
Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini said this derecho will go down as one of the strongest in recent history and be one of the nation's worst weather events of 2020.
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