Comment

I would like to see more national coverage of the Derecho storm that tore through Iowa and Illinois on August 9. It had sustained winds between 85 and 140 mph according to recent measurements - that is up to the speed of an F3 tornado - and traveled for hundreds of miles doing damage over a 50 mile wide swath the whole way. It got mentioned then dropped. It has done over 4 Billion dollars in damage in Iowa to corn crops, homes, businesses, and infrastructure while people were left without power (some still don't have power or potable drinking water) for a week or more. Cedar Rapids, a metro area of 150,000 people is still in desperate condition. the president was in Iowa one day, did NOT tour the area and promised help claiming he approved the full amount of federal aid asked for. As of yet, he has NOT. One highway patrolman told me it was like having 100 F2 tornadoes lined up a half mile apart causing damage 50 miles wide and running west to east for 250 miles. The destruction here is unimaginable and the long term effects are yet to be known. There was coverage for a few hours, then nothing. Iowans would like to have the storm receive the same ongoing coverage that hurricanes get - the damage is MORE than comparable - and also political ramifications of the late request for aid by our Governor and the failure of our president to approve in timely fashion the much needed federal assistance...all while claiming that he did. We are lucky to be here. This storms most likely related to climate change and it ,most likely will not be the last.