We're quickly approaching 11 months since one of the worst natural disasters to ever hit Eastern Iowa. 11 months since the derecho of 2020 slammed into the state and changed it's landscape forever. I remember looking around at al the debris left by the street in the weeks after the storm, and thinking 'how long is this going to take to cleanup?' The city of Cedar Rapids has reached a milestone in their derecho cleanup efforts, and it took less than one year.

KCRG reports that the city of Cedar Rapids has finished picking up derecho related debris from city neighborhoods. Trust us when we tell you that was no small task. City officials say that crews picked up more than 4 million cubic yards of debris from more than 675,000 downed trees. Let those numbers sink in for a minute. Sandi Fowler, the Cedar Rapids deputy city manager and interim public works director told KCRG that there are probably still a few piles here and there, but other than that, the city is done.

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Now this isn't to say that there aren't still areas of derecho debris around. Some piles simply didn't get moved curbside and still need to be hauled away. Officials remind residents they can bring debris year round to the Linn County Solid Waste Agency on A street SW in Cedar Rapids. If you are able to move the debris yourself, you can always call Waypoint Services at 319-366-7999.

So what has all this debris removal cost the city? KCRG reports that the disposal efforts will cost around $60 million, with the city responsible for 15%, or around $9 million. FEMA will cover around 75%, with the state of Iowa paying for the rest. The city will continue focusing on grinding down and removing stumps, and replanting trees to replace all those lost nearly a year ago.

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