Farmers in eastern Iowa are suffering the impact of an Aug. 10 derecho that swept in on the heels of a summer-long drought. | Stock photo
Farmers in eastern Iowa are suffering the impact of an Aug. 10 derecho that swept in on the heels of a summer-long drought. | Stock photo
The derecho and drought conditions across Iowa are impacting grain supplies, but officials do not expect massive crop shortages.
Millions of acres of soybeans and corn were already lost to drought conditions in eastern Iowa when an Aug. 10 derecho swept through the same region, causing further damage to grain bins and other structures.
"The compounding effects took place in Carroll County, Greene County and probably Guthrie," Charles Hurburgh, a professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering at Iowa State University, told CBS 2 Iowa. "If a grain facility was damaged so heavily that it can't take grain, then in some way one of the better options is to move this grain 20, 30 or even 40 miles, wherever it takes to get it to where there is available storage."
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said about 60 million bushels of commercial grain storage were lost or severely damaged, along with roughly the same amount lost in farm storage.
Naig said more precise reports on grain losses are expected in the coming weeks.
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