After the Storm: Illinois Recovers from Devastating Derechos
Downed tree in Urbana after the June 29, 2023, derecho. Reginald Hardwick/Illinois Public Media
On June 29, 2023, many areas of Illinois experienced severe storms that wreaked havoc, resulting in several towns declaring states of emergency. Officially these storms have been classified as derecho, and we’ll learn more about these types of storms in today’s conversation. The damage was extensive. Power outages affected hundreds of thousands of people across the state. There are also many downed trees, and, for some farmers, damaged crops. Even as we go on the air today, almost a week later, communities are still recovering. We hope to be joined by Ameren Illinois or Springfield’s City Water, Light, and Power. We didn’t hear back from Ameren in time for this conversation and CWLP declined to be on the program.
Guests:
Andrew Pritchard
Illinois Public Media meteorologist, storm chaser, and photographer.
Reginald Hardwick
News Director at Illinois Public Media
Steve Turner
Farmer, Cass County