On the afternoon of May 21, 2024, a tornado tore across Iowa. It formed in the state’s heartland, gray and wide above the cornfields. Then it began to barrel directly toward the National Weather Service office in Des Moines. According to Iowa State University meteorology professor William Gallus, the station had a plan. “If a […]
Derecho
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Peak Iowa: Storm names coined in the state
It’s probably best not to dwell on what it says about life in Iowa that the names of two fearsome types of weather originated here. But in 1870, a northwest Iowa newspaper attached an already violence-laced word to the most violent sort of snowstorm, and 18 years later, a former UI professor borrowed the Spanish […]
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As one Cedar Rapids food pantry holds emergency fundraiser, another closes after almost 20 years
The Cedar Rapids food pantry Together We Achieve (TWA) launched an emergency fundraiser on Wednesday, explaining in a Facebook post that it is facing the possibility of shutting down before the end of the year. “Funding priorities have shifted away from food insecurity, even as the demand continues to rise,” TWA said in the post. […]
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Nonprofit Matthew 25 has the tools to serve Cedar Rapids — and they’re happy to loan them out
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” reads Matthew 25:40 in the NIV Bible. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink.” It’s a message heard loud and clear by […]
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From going net-zero to replanting post-derecho, Indian Creek Nature Center is ready to celebrate 50 years of history in Cedar Rapids
If it’s your first time driving on Otis Road, you might be taken aback at the sight of a large modern building nestled among the trees. The building, aptly named Amazing Space, houses an exhibit of Indian Creek, a small gift shop and, most importantly, the Indian Creek Nature Center (ICNC). The completion of the […]
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Once Iowa storm chasers hunt down a supercell, there’s no turning back
As soon as Mark De Bruin had a car and a license, he was chasing storms. “Since I was a little kid, I would always go out on the porch and watch whatever storm came by my house, and I always just found them so fascinating,” said De Bruin, a junior meteorology major at Iowa […]
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There is no bad weather
Brother Snow. Sister Rain. Auntie Sunshine. Uncle Cloudy. Grandfather Cold. Grandmother Warmth. Cousin Storm. Mother Earth. Welcome to the family of weather — our kin. Ecological understanding is about wholeness, knowing that the earth — as a whole system, organism or being (what many call Gaia) — comprises diverse, interdependent beings (or organisms, if you […]
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CR’s Willie Fairley is heading to Kentucky to feed tornado victims
Another storm has ravaged the United States, and Cedar Rapids barbecue-master Willie Ray Fairley is on the move again. An outbreak of tornados Friday left a path of devastation through parts of Illinois, Missouri, Tennessee and especially Kentucky. At least 64 Kentucky residents have been confirmed dead, ranging in age from 5 months to 86 […]
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A year after the derecho, advocates reflect on how to better assist immigrant and refugee families in times of disaster
After the August 2020 derecho, Nabintu Baguma was most concerned about her four kids. Baguma, who is originally from Congo, has lived in Cedar Rapids for eight years and used to reside at the Cedar Terrace Apartments. The buildings in that apartment complex suffered some of the worst damage in the derecho, making the units […]
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Cedar Rapids commemorates the devastating August 2020 derecho and a year of recovery
“When the storm passed through Cedar Rapids and we could venture back outside, we all saw our beloved trees laying across lawns, streets, on homes. So many homes were devastated. Neighborhoods were unrecognizable,” Mayor Brad Hart told the crowd at Bever Park on Tuesday morning to commemorate the August 2020 derecho. “In the midst of […]
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Cedar Rapids and Marion will celebrate recovery efforts one year after the derecho
Nearly a year ago, the word “derecho” became a regular part of the vocabulary of Linn County residents. The powerful wind storm wrecked havoc through Iowa on Aug. 10, 2020, severely damaging Cedar Rapids and other parts of Linn County. Three days after the storm, Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz expressed how “every area […]
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To hell and back: Three stories of derecho resilience
Home of Katrina Benning and Jeremiah Hopkins When Katrina Benning and Jeremiah Hopkins bought their 1959 home on the edge of Bever Park in Cedar Rapids six years ago, both had been homeowners before. But this was their first home together. Their blended family, which brought together her two children and his four in what […]
