At least 62 deaths were reported, and damage is estimated at $29.1 billion, $20.6 billion of which occurred in the United States alone. Bhola Cyclone. According to the Weather Channel, the worst thunderstorm in the U.S. in terms of cost took place on May 5, 1995 in Fort Worth, Texas. The Aug. 10 derecho that moved across the nation's Corn Belt is now being called the most destructive thunderstorm disaster to hit the United States in modern times. The thunderstorm struck during the outdoor Mayfest festival near downtown Fort Worth, which increased the damage because many victims were caught outdoors with no access to shelter. Kim Reynolds requested nearly $4 billion in federal aid to help the state's agricultural industry. Millions of acres of corn and soybean crops were flattened, as were numerous homes, businesses and vehicles, especially in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. According to NOAA, an estimated 90% of structures in Cedar Rapids were damaged by the storm, and more than 1,000 homes were destroyed. hide caption. A derecho is a bruising, fast-moving windstorm that is associated with intense thunderstorms. ", We Insist: A Timeline Of Protest Music In 2020. According to the Weather Channel, the worst thunderstorm in the U.S. in terms of cost took place on May 5, 1995 in Fort Worth, Texas. The aftermath of the storm looked like winter in Texas, with bare trees and ice coating the ground. "If you were looking to exert the most damage on corn crops when it comes to thunderstorms and heavy winds, when the derecho rolled through in August, it was the perfect time to do it.". Prior to this, only hurricanes had damage figures in the billions. The storm also impacted Illinois, Ohio, Minnesota and Indiana. The strongest storms the satellite observed were in areas east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and east of the Andes Mountains in Argentina, where geography “is … Only Hurricane Laura, with a price tag of $14 billion, caused more financial ruin. The thunderstorm system formed in eastern Nebraska and southern South Dakota during the early morning hours of Aug. 10, before tearing a path through central Iowa later that morning. People rebuild their houses after Cyclone Roan, Bhola, Bangladesh, on May 24, 2016. ), The Secret Science of Solving Crossword Puzzles, Racist Phrases to Remove From Your Mental Lexicon. It ripped out trees, damaged structures, and cut power to half a million people. The Lutheran Church of Hope, working with local companies, filled four semi-trucks with furniture donations. The derecho that struck in August brought sustained and widespread winds over 100 mph, and easily cracked the top five list of most expensive weather events in the U.S. this year, surpassing even the damage cost caused by most hurricanes and tornadoes. Will 5G Impact Our Cell Phone Plans (or Our Health?! "They would have been much more resistant to wind damage closer to the ground," Curtis said. Within weeks of the storms, thousands of Iowans — mostly workers impacted by the derecho — filed for unemployment benefits. Local businesses have been collecting furniture to donate to victims in Cedar Rapids, where some still haven't returned to their homes. And when we see someone who's really taken a hit, who's really down, we need to step up. Festival attendees were subject to 70-mph winds and hail the size of grapefruits. Is the Coronavirus Crisis Increasing America's Drug Overdoses? Even today, some displaced Iowans are stilling feeling the effects of the storm. The fact that the storm hit in August made the cost even greater, Allan Curtis, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service of Des Moines, told the Des Moines Register. It was the costliest storm system in modern U.S. history. A tree fell across vehicles at a home in West Des Moines after a severe thunderstorm moved across Iowa on Aug. 10. … Thousands filed for unemployment insurance, and some residents still have not been able to return to their homes, more than two months later. And Iowa Gov. The powerful derecho that swept through the Midwest in August, focusing its destruction on central Iowa, is officially the most costly thunderstorm event in recorded U.S. history. "We're called to help our fellow man. Its sustained winds of 345 km/h (215 mph) are also the highest on record globally. "One could make a strong case that this is the most destructive individual thunderstorm cluster on record in terms of damage cost," Steve Bowen, head of catastrophe insight at the insurance broker Aon, told the Washington Post. Since crops had already been growing for months at that point, they were tall enough to be caught in the wind path. A tree fell across vehicles at a home in West Des Moines after a severe thunderstorm moved across Iowa on Aug. 10. An unusually late storm that came after Hurricane Katrina, Wilma made several landfalls, with the most destructive effects felt in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico, Cuba, and the US state of Florida. Only Hurricane Laura, with a price tag of $14 billion, caused more financial ruin. "We've all seen the destruction," church official Dave Schwartz told KCCI Des Moines. The most intense storm in the Eastern Pacific Ocean by both sustained winds and central pressure was Hurricane Patricia. Hail damage alone was over $2 billion, not counting wind or rain damages. Storms with a minimum central pressure of 925 hPa (27.32 inHg) or less are listed. All told, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that 850,000 crop acres were lost — 50% more than originally estimated. Hail damage alone was over $2 billion, not counting wind or rain damages. What Was the Worst Thunderstorm Ever Recorded? According to figures released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the sustained line of thunderstorms that traveled 770 miles from South Dakota through Ohio in 14 hours, has cost $7.5 billion and counting. Four people were killed, three of them Iowans. David Pitt/AP Fact Check: What Power Does the President Really Have Over State Governors? "I don't think most of the country truly realizes how severe the event ended up being.". Getty Images North America/Getty Images News/Getty Images. Prior to this, only hurricanes had damage figures in the billions. It was the costliest storm system in modern U.S. history. Festival of Sacrifice: The Past and Present of the Islamic Holiday of Eid al-Adha.