Our dedicated electrical power crews mobilized quickly to help those affected by a derecho that severely damaged Iowa on Aug. 10. Working long days since the storm hit, about 250 of our people are repairing electrical lines and utility poles and bringing needed relief and hope to the many people dealing with widespread devastation. And they won’t stop until power is restored to all customers of the five utilities we are helping.
What are the right words to describe the efforts of these hard-working heroes? We think this Marshalltown, IA, resident did a great job: “I left for a little bit and came home to the wonderful sight of two of your linemen on my garage repairing lines. Less than 30 minutes later, after being without power for 8 days, it was back on. Your employees are working long hours doing a dangerous job. I just want to give a huge THANK YOU to your linemen for working extra hard to get not only my town, but the rest of Iowa back up and running.” Watch a short video here.
A derecho is often called a land hurricane. It’s a powerful long-lived windstorm formed with a line of thunderstorms. Unlike rotating tornados, derecho winds move in straight lines and cover much wider stretches of land. In this case, its wind speeds topped 100 mph—more than enough to snap power poles, tangle line, and knock out power for more than 400,000 Iowans. Read more about Tropical Storm Isaias or more on our Emergency Response Services.
