The massive derocho storm that slammed Iowa on June 10, and that flattened large parts of the state, also took a bite out of northern Missouri and the St. Louis area. A derocho is a widespread straight-line wind storm that can rival tornadoes and hurricanes with its wind velocities.The June 10 squall line that ripped through Iowa destroyed more than a quarter of the state’s corn crop and left $4 billion in damages and several fatalities. St. Louis was hit with the southern edge of the storm that began in the Dakotas and moved across Iowa, Illinois and Lake Michigan.
The St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, which is the only city in the metropolitan area that owns and operates its own electric utility, is still assessing the impact of the June 10 storm on its electrical operation.
“We’re still reviewing all the numbers,” said Mark Petty of Kirkwood Electric. “But this may have been the worst storm for us since 2006.”










