Corn damaged field by derecho storm in IowaOn July 15 and 16, a derecho moved across the corn belt including Iowa, Wisconsin, Indiana and Illinois. It brought hail measuring up to 2.5 inches and wind gusts near 100 mph. A derecho is classified as a fast-moving windstorm where wind damage extends more than 240 miles and wind damage in the path exceeds 58 mph.

The National Weather Service reported a maximum wind gust of 97 mph near Holly Cross, Iowa. Lena, Illinois, reported a maximum wind speed of 93 mph and gusts reached 86 mph in Aurora, Iowa. A few towns in Iowa reported tennis-ball size hail. Other areas experienced torrential rainfall. Parts of eastern Iowa witnessed 1.5 to 2 inches of rain. Some areas in southern Wisconsin saw 2 to 3 inches of rain. An isolated area in Illinois witnessed 4 to 5 inches of rain.

These storms came at a critical time for corn and soybean crops. Corn is silking and soybeans are setting pods. Before the storm, 62% of the corn was silking in Illinois, 42% was silking in Indiana and 44% was silking in Iowa.

Read more about the derecho impacts across there corn belt here.