Looking Back- The 2020 Derecho

6/28/2022 (Permalink)

A reminder of how important preparedness is, even when things are least expected!

It’s been just short of 2 years since the derecho came tearing through Iowa, in August of 2020. This was a tough time in more ways than one. With COVID-19 still very fresh and new, our communities now had to face one of the biggest natural disasters to date. Winds estimated at 110-120 mph caused damage resulting in a projected $11 billion dollars.

When this season of severe weather rolls around each year, this memory reminds us that we need to have a plan. Now that the dust has settled, for the most part, we’re looking back on this devastating event and reflecting on some important takeaways.

HAVE AN EMERGENCY PLAN IN PLACE

We have seen it happen once; it can happen again. Maybe not a derecho (hopefully), but tornadoes and other disasters can come knocking. It is vital to have an emergency-ready plan in place. Even more importantly, make sure you teach your children what to do when something like this occurs. Here are a few ideas to get you thinking of possible solutions or plans:

• Where will you go to seek shelter?
• What necessary items should you grab in the event of dangerous weather?
• Do you have an emergency-ready kit?
• Where is your first aid kit located?
• What will you use as protection in the event you need to cover yourself from flying debris?
• If you are in a vehicle and need to seek shelter, what should your plan of attack look like?

These are just a few points to get your wheels turning. Use your resources and make sure that your plan is documented somewhere! It is good to have easy access to help you in stressful situations, as well as for your kids to utilize!

SERVPRO STRONG

Another thing we learned from this catastrophe, was there really is no mess too big for SERVPRO. We often consider ourselves SERVPRO strong, and this is because SERVPROs across the nation are non-competing. In times of distress or large losses, we band together and compile resources to get the job done and be there for our communities. SERVPRO has storm teams on standby who are at the ready for situations such as the 2020 Derecho.

CHECK YOUR COVERAGE

For 250 miles the derecho stretched across land, leaving a lot of damage in its path. look at your homeowners, or renters’ insurance and confirm that you are protected under any future events that could lead to potential damage. When disaster strikes, it creates enough distress on its own. Not having coverage on your home can result in even more chaos, as repairing the damage will have to come out of your pocket.

While we hope and pray that nothing like this ever takes place again, we can only control how we prepare and react when the universe has a mind of its own. SERVPRO is dedicated to helping our communities and by sharing preventative and proactive measures, we get one step closer!