Five years ago this week, a devastating wind storm called a derecho (dah-RAY-cho) blasted across Iowa and several other states, causing catastrophic damage to structures, crops and trees. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is now offering an interactive map that recounts the damage on August 10th of 2020, and where the recovery stands now. Ellie Jones is the community disaster recovery coordinator for the D-N-R and Trees Forever Partnership.

What’s called a “land hurricane” by some, the derecho raged across 770 miles of the Midwest and lasted for 14 hours. It’s considered the most expensive thunderstorm in American history, with damage in multiple states estimated over 11-billion dollars. Many Iowa communities lost wide swaths of trees, including Cedar Rapids, where up to 65-percent of the canopy was flattened. Five years later, Jones says the replanting that remains needs to be done with forethought.

The D-N-R is urging homeowners and city leaders to plan ahead and consider any of about 85 different species of trees to plant. However, if you’re thinking about maples, think again, as about 35-percent of the state’s trees are already maples. The agency offers a free online publication, called Rethinking Maples, that offers explanations and alternatives.

The D-N-R’s “5 Years of Derecho Recovery” interactive map highlights the impact, response and recovery from the storm, offering stories, maps and videos detailing the damage and the long process of rebuilding.

Explore the interactive map at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/ba98113395d34a03a1b8bd348418bf2c

Matt Kelley, Radio Iowa