CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Watch KCRG-TV9’s live coverage from the afternoon of August 10, 2020.
On that day, a destructive line of storms, called a derecho, blasted across Iowa and many other areas in the central United States. Winds were measured as high as 126 mph at Atkins, with estimated wind speeds up to 140 mph based on the damage the storm brought.
Especially hard-hit was a swath from Benton County into Linn County, including the Cedar Rapids metro area. Extensive tree damage was seen, along with significant damage to hundreds of buildings, some to the point of destruction. Power and communications outages lasted for days and weeks. Repairs took months, and the look of the area was changed for years…