Amid record breaking heat, wildfire and hurricane seasons, the US endured unprecedented weather in 2020.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) ranked the 22 billion-dollar weather and climate disasters that struck the country costing around $95 billion total last year.
Among the disasters, the third costliest event was the August 10 derecho that swept through the Midwest causing approximately $11 billion in damage, leading to four deaths. The derecho was the third severe weather event over $10 billion since 1980.
The derecho devastated the Quad Cities region and communities from South Dakota to Ohio, notably Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Homes, businesses and millions of acres of crops were damaged and destroyed.
The derecho traveled 770 miles in 14 hours with "widespread winds greater than 100 mph," NOAA reported, leaving thousands without power for days to weeks.
News 8 covered the aftermath of the derecho in the Quad Cities region:
- When a tree crashed into a 3-year-old's room in Moline.
- How MidAmerican Energy crews worked around the clock to restore power.
- A Wisconsin photographer mourning a nearly 200-year-old tree that fell in the derecho.
- The Davenport League of United Latin American Citizens hosting a supply drive to help those in Cedar Rapids most affected by the storm.
Hurricane Laura and wildfires on the west coast were the first and second costliest storms respectively, costing $19 billion and $16.5 billion.
NOAA also reported 2020 was "the fifth warmest year on record. All five-warmest years in the U.S. have occurred since 2012."