Former Hawkeye’s Home Destroyed by Derecho, Wife Deals with COVID [VIDEO]

Edmond Miles and his family had just returned from vacation when the unforgettable, destructive derecho struck their Cedar Rapids home on the afternoon of August 10. It would mean a big change in their lives, and that was just the first challenge they'd encounter in the second half of 2020.

Miles, who played linebacker for the Iowa Hawkeyes from 2002 to 2006, is a Florida native, so he's certainly no stranger to hurricanes. However, this was different. As he told the Gazette a couple of weeks after the storm, "Hurricanes sit over you, but it's a lot different when it's in the Midwest. It would just not go away." None of us will ever forget the unrelenting winds of that day.

As the storm continued to unleash its fury, Miles knew there were likely major issues with his home when he could smell debris in his basement as the family rode out the derecho. When the storm finally did end, the damage to their 100-year-old two-story home was so substantial, the city condemned it. The family's two vehicles and a rental they'd just used for their vacation were also badly damaged. Most importantly, Edmond, his wife Lindsay, and their three daughters (10, 4, and 15 months) were all uninjured.

The Miles family plans to rebuild their Cedar Rapids home, at the exact same location. While they live in a Marion townhouse, continuing to wait for their home's demolition, Lindsay was diagnosed with COVID-19. Thankfully, CNBC's "The News with Shepard Smith" (video below) reported last night that she's out of quarantine. One hurdle down. Now a local family of five just has to be patient, as do so many others whose homes and lives were dealt similar fates by a storm we'll all remember for the rest of our lives.