The severe derecho windstorm that charged across Iowa on 10 August 2020 caused a huge amount of damage to trees, crops, homes, and businesses estimated at $11 billion dollars. We lost the tops and limbs of several tall trees near our house. This link shows some of the tree damages. Our roof had 6 holes punched in it by falling limbs. Rafters were broken. Half of the gutters were destroyed. And, 3 holes were torn in the deck screens.
The limbs were all cleared away. The roof was replaced in December and the gutters in May. The screens were replaced on the entire deck in late July. The place looks good.
Our handy man, Joey, brought his lift so he could easily and safely reach everything.
Before his visit, I stained and sealed the interior wood of the deck. While he had the boards off of the outside, I treated them. Everything now has a fresh coat inside and out.
Our backyard cleanup of the downed trees and limbs from the August 10th derecho is almost finished. Three pickup truckloads of cut tree trunks and branches were hauled away a week ago. We had some days with little wind which allowed small branches and debris to be burned. We will see what grows in the spring and then decide what to plant in the empty space. Nature was quick to destroy some trees but will take her time to show her future plans. We will be patient.
Here are photos for comparison of before and after cleanup. Taken from the same spot.
It has been two months since the derecho roared through Iowa. Before the Aug 10 derecho, we enjoyed a nice wooded area behind our house. The shade and filtered light was calming and peaceful. The windstorm change all that in 45 minutes with winds over 100 mph.
After derecho #1
After derecho #2
After many hours of hand sawing and dragging fallen limbs to the curb, much of the ground was visible again. The city took those branches away. We were still left with 5 trees that had not fallen all the way to the ground. It was not safe to be near them. We hired a man with a chainsaw to come help us finish dropping those trees. He cut up the branches and trunks into sizes we could handle.
Today, I recorded this short video as I walked through the same wooded area pictured above. It is discouraging. But, we are making progress. Things will grow back. We can plant new trees.
The insurance company did come through to help with house damages. They did an EFT into our account which nearly pays for the entire roof and gutter replacements. Now we wait our turn for the jobs to be done. We are hopeful the roof will be replaced before winter. The gutter company said it will be spring.
Many people to our north in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area suffered much more damage than we did. We still have a home to live in. Many of them don’t. Crews are still working hard to clear trees and rebuild homes. We hope the rest of the year is quiet for them.
From Wikipedia:
The August 2020 Midwest derecho delivered a maximum measured wind speed of 126 mph, with damage-estimated speeds as high as 140 mph in the Cedar Rapids area. The storm spawned 17 confirmed tornados across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. Ten million acres of crops were damaged or destroyed, accounting for roughly a third of the state of Iowa’s agricultural area. Over a million homes across the Midwest were without basic services such as water and electricity.
Our View From Iowa 