Wisconsin dodged a bullet; Iowa and Illinois clean up damage from Derecho

MILWAUKEE - The impacts from last Monday’s Derecho were felt far and wide across the Midwest.

The system of storms traveled over 700 miles, producing damage in seven states, including Wisconsin. The worst impacts were felt in Iowa and Illinois, where wind gusts exceeded 80 mph, leading to widespread damage to homes, buildings, and farmland.  

It’s estimated that more than 15 million acres of crops sustained damage, over 10 million acres in Iowa alone, making up more than 1/3 of the state’s entire farmland. The damage so expansive, it can be seen from space.

In the imagery above, you can see the distinct areas of discoloration where the Derecho traveled across Iowa. In these locations, crops sustained widespread damage.

In addition to crops, an estimated 80,000 customers remain without power a week after the storm system downed countless trees and powerlines. At one time, more that 1 million customers were left without power after the Derecho.

Aside from the intense wind, the storm system spawned 20+ tornadoes, including 2 tornadoes in southeastern Wisconsin in the Lake Geneva and Camp Lake areas. Both tornadoes received an EF-0 rating with wind speeds of 80 mph, downing trees and damaging homes.

Luckily for Wisconsin, the greatest impacts from the Derecho were confined mainly to counties bordering Illinois, with the tornado damage in Walworth and Kenosha counties being the most significant. If the storm system had taken slightly different route, and traveled northward, it could have been a much different story for the state.