Powerful ‘derecho’ storm sweeps over Midwestern states

IOWA CITY, Iowa — A rare storm packing 100 mph winds and with power similar to a hurricane swept across the Midwest on Monday, blowing over trees, flipping vehicles, causing widespread property damage and leaving tens of thousands without power.

The storm known as a derecho tore across eastern Nebraska, Iowa and parts of Wisconsin and Illinois.

Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor

Gensini said the storm will go down as one of the strongest derechoes in recent history.

“It ramped up pretty quick” around 7 a.m. in eastern Nebraska, said Patrick Marsh, science support chief at the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla. “I don’t think anybody expected widespread winds approaching 100, 110 mph.”

Several people were injured and widespread property damage was reported in Marshall County in central Iowa after 100 mph winds swept through the area, said its homeland security coordinator Kim Elder.

“We had quite a few people trapped in buildings and cars,” she said, adding that some people reported their cars flipping over and getting injured when hit by flying debris. Dozens of cars at one factory had their windshields blown out.

Marshalltown Mayor Joel Greer declared a civil emergency, telling residents to stay home and off the streets so that first responders could respond to calls.

MidAmerican Energy said nearly 101,000 customers in the Des Moines, Iowa, area were without power. Omaha Public Power District reported more than 55,500 customers without power in Omaha and surrounding communities.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has “both significant and widespread damage throughout the city,” said public safety spokesman Greg Buelow. “Trees and power lines are down throughout the entire city.”

Derechoes, with winds of at least 58 mph, occur about once a year in the Midwest. Rarer than tornadoes but with weaker winds, derechoes produce damage over a much wider area.