One year ago: December derecho sweeps across Iowa, spawning 63 tornadoes in 12 hours
One year ago today, Iowa got hit by a massive storm that turned out to be historic.
The first December Derecho in the U.S. swept across Iowa, spawning 63 confirmed tornadoes in the state in less than 12 hours.
That set the record for most tornadoes in a day, blowing the 2014 record of 35 away.
Twenty-one of those twisters were rated EF2 or higher.
Audubon reported the highest wind gust of the day, an astonishing 88 miles per hour.
Overall, the widespread event cost more than $1 billion in damages across the Midwest.
The tiny town of Rudd in Floyd County was hit hard by an EF1 tornado.
The storm destroyed the town's tornado siren and library, along with other houses and buildings.
The siren has been replaced but the library is still in its temporary home inside City Hall.
City leaders are waiting on funding to get that project underway.
In Southwestern Iowa, the derecho dealt a second blow to Malvern's only grocery store.
Just days after a devastating fire, the strong winds blew over part of what was left of the 151-year-old building.
The owner has promised to rebuild, but that process has not yet begun.
And in Greene County, about 90% of the county was without power following the storm.
Several buildings were destroyed when the EF2 tornado blew through.
The tornado also blew 20 train cars off the tracks.
The storm caused $15 million in damage in Greene County alone.