Derecho hits Midwest states

Market to Market | Clip
Jul 8, 2022 | 2 min

A derecho damaged crops in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa.

Transcript

A heavy thunderstorm sparked a derecho over South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa this week. Thousands of customers were without power Tuesday evening as downed trees littered the region. By week’s end power was restored.

The storm met the definition of a derecho, with a swath of damage of more than 240 miles and straight-line wind gusts over 58 miles per hour.

Thousands of acres of corn were flattened in South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa as a result of the storm. While some will continue to grow, there will be lower yields and the crop will be difficult to harvest. 

A small tornado struck suburban Cincinnati on Wednesday. 200 homes were damaged in the area, and 100,000 customers lost power. 

That system’s heavy rain was little relief for most of the country, which saw the drought worsen in many states. Fifteen percent of the Midwest is now affected by drought, double the percentage a week ago. The western third of the country continues to experience extensive drought. 

For Market to Market, I’m Peter Tubbs