Friend,
This past Tuesday was the one-year anniversary of the derecho. I spent the day out in the community talking to Iowans, community leaders, and organizations about the lasting effects of the derecho and how our community is rebuilding stronger.
It was a bittersweet day—we lost so much in last year’s storm, and so many families, farmers, and businesses are still grappling with the damage and working to rebuild. It was truly inspiring to be with so many members of the community on Tuesday – it is evident that our whole community will continue to band together and help our neighbors and friends through the recovery process. There’s a lot of hard work still to come.
Our day started off at a commemoration ceremony in Cedar Rapids with local officials, first responders, and members of the community. I was honored to participate in the Derecho Anniversary CommUNITY lunch at City Square Park in Marion.
Then, I helped a tree at Thomas Park with folks from Trees Forever and Marion’s Urban Forestry Division. We lost over 600,000 trees in the derecho—we have a long way to go, but every tree planted is a step in the right direction. I ended the day at the Future Focused: United Through Recovery event in Marion. We talked about plans to grow our economy and ways to help the community flourish while ensuring we are as prepared as possible for devastating weather in the future.
It was very surreal on the one-year anniversary of the derecho to have another storm. I drove up a little north of Alburnett to take stock of the damage. On the anniversary of the derecho, farmers dealt with even more severe weather.
Being on the ground in the days following the derecho and continuing to hear from so many Iowans who are still dealing with the resulting damage, has shaped how I view my role in Congress and my priorities in Washington.
I am focused on ensuring our community has the resources we need to rebuild and recover fully. A big part of the recovery process is building back in a more resilient way and ensuring we are better prepared for another disaster, if one should strike.
Read on below for more updates on IA-01 and a recap of the Field of Dreams game in Dyersville!
Best,