It's hard to believe it has been two years since the derecho ripped through the entire state of Iowa and into Western Illinois. Two years ago, more than $11 billion in damages was done due to the powerful storm that most could only describe as an inland hurricane. Thousands were left without power two years ago for weeks but the Quad Cities bounced back, and two years later, we're still thriving.

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On Monday, August 10th, 2020, the state of Iowa and northern Illinois experienced one of the worst storms in history. Unless you were a meteorologist, you didn't know what to call it besides a devastating storm. After everything was said and done, the only word people could say in Iowa and throughout the Quad Cities was derecho.

A derecho is a line of powerful, quick windstorms sometimes joined by thunderstorms traversing a large expanse of land. This derecho traveled a total of 770 miles in just 14 hours.

NWS Chicago
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NWS Chicago

The derecho brought powerful, damaging winds to those in its path. The National Weather Service of the Quad Cities says the maximum estimated winds were around 140 mph, which caused extensive damage to an apartment complex in southwest Cedar Rapids. The maximum measured unofficial wind gust was 126 mph at Atkins, Iowa in Benton County.

Many locations experienced sustained high winds and damaging gusts for 30 to 60 minutes, compared to 10 to 20 minutes, which is more common for derechos, according to the National Weather Service.

National Weather Service
National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service
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Many homes, buildings, and businesses received severe damage. Thousands of people were left without power, some for a few weeks. The damage to crops was so severe that you could actually see the flattened corn in Iowa from space.

Northern IL Severe Weather via Facebook
Northern IL Severe Weather via Facebook
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Quad City Memes reminded us about how strong that storm was with this solid meme.

Even though the derecho tore through and damaged our community and many communities in 2020, we all came together to help each other rebuild and get life back to normal while also dealing with a pandemic.

Two years have gone by since the derecho that took many of us by surprise. Take a look at the damage that happened in the Quad Cities on that Monday afternoon two years ago with the photos below.

QC Storm Damage

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