Storm Lake cleaning up after strong winds take down trees and buildings
Strong winds wreaked havoc in Storm Lake, Iowa, causing significant damage to buildings, power lines, and trees. The National Weather Service confirmed the destruction was caused by strong winds between 60-80 mph, not a tornado.
Merrill Manufacturing's building suffered extensive damage, with a brick wall destroyed and the roof blown off. Debris from the building was scattered across the parking lot, wrapped around a light pole, and even found in the Dollar General parking lot across the street. The Dollar General store's front facade was also destroyed by the powerful winds.
Mayor Mike Porsch expressed his shock at the extent of the damage.
"It was devastating. When I got up this morning, it was a lot worse than I had anticipated," he said.
By midday, most streets had been cleared of debris, allowing MidAmerican Energy crews to begin restoring power.
Resident Carl Boyd's garage was struck by a large tree trunk.
"The wind just came and a big howl and boom that fell, and about 10 minutes later it just started pouring down rain," Boyd said.
Aaron Johnson, another resident, worked with his children to remove a tree that had fallen on his neighbor's sheds. He said the storm was "really pretty violent."
MidAmerican crews continued their efforts to restore power with hopes of having all residents back online by Friday night.
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