PIXABAY
A storm packing hurricane-force winds tore across the U.S. Midwest on Monday, causing widespread property damage in cities and rural towns and leaving more than half a million homes and businesses without power, reports Reuters.
Winds as high as 100 mph hit eastern Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and parts of Illinois in the widespread storm classified as a “derecho” by the National Weather Service.
It toppled grain bins in dozens of counties and tore into livestock farms in Iowa, the nation’s top hog and corn producer. Bin losses, ahead of this fall’s harvest, could leave some farmers scrambling to find storage for their crops, said agronomists.
- In Cedar Rapids, IA, Cargill Inc.’s oilseed processing facilities have no power and are shuttered, the company told Reuters late Monday.
- ADM’s corn processing plant in Cedar Rapids is offline and being inspected for damage, a company spokeswoman said.
- Heartland Co-op, which has dozens of grain storage facilities across Iowa, said in a statement it had sustained serious damage at 21 locations.
