On July 15, 2024, a derecho swept through the Midwest. The storm followed a path similar to the well-known 2020 derecho that caused billions of dollars in damages. However, the most recent windstorm had much less severe consequences.

A derecho is a widespread, near-constant wind storm that covers hundreds of miles. The difference between the 2020 and 2024 storms started at their very beginnings. In 2020, the derecho began overnight as a line of thunderstorms and strengthened over Iowa into a damaging storm. In 2024, the thunderstorms formed in Iowa in the afternoon. The resulting storm was not as tightly constructed as the one in 2020.

This year’s storm had significantly less of an impact on agriculture. The storm’s strength played a role in this, as did the time of year and ongoing weather conditions. Corn was not as far along in 2024 compared to the August 2020 storm. Additionally, soil this year has much more moisture. This helped crops stand up to the high winds.

Read more about the two storm systems here.