Uploaded July 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The most destructive thunderstorm complex in modern U.S. history rampaged from eastern Nebraska to northern Indiana on August 10, 2020. At the center of this disaster was a derecho—a thunderstorm-driven corridor of intense winds with estimated peak speeds that hit 140 mph in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Three people died, more than 8000 homes and businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged, countless trees were ripped to pieces, and more than a million acres of crops were ruined. To many, the derecho felt like an inland hurricane, but it was actually a whole different type of weather beast. We’ll look into the impacts of this landmark event, explore the meteorology behind it, and discuss why derechos are so tough to predict.
The most destructive thunderstorm complex in modern U.S. history rampaged from eastern Nebraska to northern Indiana on August 10, 2020. At the center of this disaster was a derecho—a thunderstorm-driven corridor of intense winds with estimated peak speeds that hit 140 mph in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Three people died, more than 8000 homes and businesses were destroyed or heavily damaged, countless trees were ripped to pieces, and more than a million acres of crops were ruined. To many, the derecho felt like an inland hurricane, but it was actually a whole different type of weather beast. We’ll look into the impacts of this landmark event, explore the meteorology behind it, and discuss why derechos are so tough to predict.
