2020: Derecho deals blow to millions of acres of Iowa crops

Frick this year

JASPER COUNTY, Iowa —
Early estimates indicate that 10 million acres of farmland was flatted Monday during the derecho, according to Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Reynolds said during her Tuesday news conference that the state estimates at least one third of Iowa crops sustained damage during the severe storms.

The devastation comes as a second blow to Iowa farmers already dealing with a trade war and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jasper County farmer Brian Rumbaugh said Monday’s storm flattened most of his 450 acres of corn, destroying what he said would have been a good crop.

Rumbaugh said he has never seen a natural disaster comparable to the derecho in his 50 years of farming.

“This is the worst one I've ever had,” he said. “We had tornadoes go through a while back, tornadoes 300-400 feet wide, (but) this was everything.”

Rumbaugh said his crop insurance will likely make up for some of the losses, though other farmers may not be as lucky.

“It's probably 30-40 years I've had it, and thank God,” he said. “That's what you have insurance for is a failsafe, but I've never collected a dime … which is good. Now they owe me.”