Farm group assists with derecho recovery

Aug 21, 2020

The Iowa Farm Bureau donated $15,000 to relief efforts

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A farm organization is helping communities recover from the derecho that left crops downed and communities destroyed.

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation (IFBF) donated $15,000 to the American Red Cross to help with deliveries of aid and supplies to those in need.

“In the long term, there is much work to be done to rebuild what has been lost, but in the short term, Iowans’ needs for food, shelter and medical attention need to be immediately met and the American Red Cross has the infrastructure in place to assist with those services,” Craig Hill, president of the IFBF, said in a statement.

To date, the American Red Cross has provided nearly 1,000 overnight stays, 22,000 meals and 3,000 cases of water to displaced Iowans.

The Aug. 10 storm started in South Dakota and made its way through parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Ohio.

Altogether the storm traveled about 770 miles in 14 hours and brought with it winds up to 100 miles per hour, the Storm Prediction Center said.

In Iowa alone, the derecho is estimated to have caused $4 billion in damages including millions of acres of crops.

“My family farm has dealt with tornados, ice storms, flooding and droughts, but nothing has compared to the devastation my farm incurred from the recent derecho,” Tim Bardole, a Perry, Iowa farmer and president of the Iowa Soybean Association, told U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Aug. 13. “

American Red Cross officials estimate the derecho’s damage in Iowa is greater than floods from more than a decade ago that caused nearly $3.5 billion in total damages.

“I think the destruction from this storm is worse than the 2008 floods. We are seeing a growing need for basic services and supplies, and we are grateful to the Iowa Farm Bureau for their continued commitment to serving Iowans across the state when terrible disasters like this leave so many without basic necessities,” Justin Haas, regional philanthropy officer with the American Red Cross, said in a statement.

Anyone who wishes to contribute to derecho relief efforts can visit the American Red Cross or IFBF.

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