Eastern Iowa Deals With Storm Damage

Tree went down along 10th Ave and 18th Street in Marion after a severe storm passed thru with 80 plus mph winds. Submitted by buddyburton

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By Mark Carlson, Reporter

Story Created: Jun 30, 2012 at 11:27 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jun 30, 2012 at 11:40 PM CDT

IOWA COUNTY - Residents in multiple Eastern Iowa towns are cleaning up after a widespread storm event Friday night. Wind estimates in Marengo were around 90 miles-and-hour, blowing the roof off of a business and downing multiple trees and power lines.

Saturday morning residents banded together to clean-up after the storm. Robert Otte of Marengo said friends and neighbors helped him remove a massive 80-year-old tree in just over four hours.

“We wouldn’t have been able to do it without them,” Otte said. “That’s just Iowa.”

Otte’s wife, Denise, was inside the family home when the tree came crashing down.

“It scared us pretty good,” Denise Otte said. “I was sitting with my daughter and I just saw green.”

Residents in Victor also reported widespread damage, including many downed trees. Longtime resident Curt Reidel said his home sustained damage after an old tree was blown onto it.

“The tree was probably planted by whoever owned the house before us,” Reidel said. “We’ve been here since 1967.”

The storm was one of the worst to blow through the area in decades, according to Reidel.

In Linn County winds were clocked at up-to 75 miles-an-hour. The storms dropped multiple trees and also caused damage to homes. Alliant Energy reports 104 people remain without power as of 11:30 p.m. Saturday.

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