August 18th, 2020
By: Ganon Evans
There Will Come Not So Soft Rains
On August 10 th , 2020, a massive windstorm known as a derecho rolled across the plains
of Iowa. With reported windspeeds in miles per hour reaching triple digits, the hurricane-esque
storm left two million people without power or internet, and some communities without other
utilities such as water or sewage. A friend in Marshalltown told me they might be out of power
for weeks, and my roommate’s family in Cedar Rapids had a log crash through their roof. In my
home of Iowa City, I was quick enough to move my car to a nearby alley before a tree collapsed
on my parking spot not thirty minutes later. The thing that scares me the most about this storm
than any other before is how nobody expected it. Midwesterners are naturally atune to tornado
sirens and fierce storms, but everybody went to bed expecting some slow rain that didn’t move in
Sunday night.
Perhaps a scarier thing is the fact that because of climate change, derechos like this one
will only increase in size and frequency. Temperature differences between different zones create
the winds. Because of unnatural temperature increases in Earth’s environments as a result of
human-impacted climate change, some winds are growing stronger and contracting as a result of
different weather patterns. This change in the fundamental rhythm of Earth’s environment can
lead to increased rates of natural disasters, such as derechos or hurricanes. In the past decade
alone, average wind speeds worldwide have increased by about 7 miles per hour. If this trend
continues, harsh winds could become a new normal, and the billions of property damage and
massive loss of life. On top of the many other positives of formally addressing climate change
like cleaner air and water, more reliable and less polluting energy, and a strong energy economy,
addressing this issue would also help prevent larger derechos from hitting Iowa and other states
in the future.
Quick storms have more long term consequences than just fallen trees and a few days of
no power. 43 percent of Iowa’s $10 billion corn and soybean industry was affected by the storm,
with thousands of tons of crop crushed into the dirt, never to go to market. Iowa perhaps may not
be the largest corn producing state in the nation once farmers gather up what remains of their
livelihoods. In a state where “America Needs Farmers” can be seen on every other bumper, its
critical that governments address worldwide climate change to protect their citizens at home.
Discussion of global warming immediately conjures images of sea levels risings, but those in
America’s Heartland will also be affected by increased storms and crop failures.
The basic government commitments to address climate change include, but are not
limited to, 21 st century infrastructure, energy innovation, environmental leadership, and new
approaches to addressing climate change policywise. If Republican leadership wants to maintain
a strong presence among young people, farmers, and any other citizen who engages with the
outdoors in Iowa, then they need to step up to the plate and promote more innovative policies for
Republican tickets at all levels.