Storms devastated central and eastern Iowa Monday leaving trees uprooted onto houses and vehicles, power lines strewn across the ground, buildings leveled, and crops flattened. The storm has been labeled a derecho, which is defined as a widespread, long-lived, straight-line wind storm. Yesterday’s derecho produced winds equal to a category 2 hurricane accompanied by thunderstorms. Many customers also lost power to their homes. At least 50 people in Cedar Rapids went to the hospital with storm related injuries. No deaths have been reported.
