An Iowa delegation, led by U.S. Senator, Chuck Grassley, has penned a letter urging U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary, Sonny Perdue, to approve Gov. Kim Reynolds’ request for disaster aid for 57 counties. The Secretarial Disaster Designation for damages from the Aug. 10 derecho includes all counties in the listening area: Carroll, Audubon, Calhoun, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie and Sac. There have been more than an estimated 3.5 million acres of corn and 2.5 million acres of soybeans severely damaged across the state with many more affected to varying degrees, which can be seen and verified through satellite imagery. “This is a potential loss of nearly 725 million bushels of corn and nearly 153 million bushels of soybeans,” the members wrote. “[…] Iowa producers have also suffered significant damage to houses, grain bins, barns and other infrastructure critical to their farming operations and livelihoods. It is critical that you grant this Secretarial Disaster Designation that will make these producers eligible for resources that will help mitigate these significant losses.” The derecho swept through much of Iowa with sustained winds in excess of 100 miles per hour in some regions.
