What Eastern Iowans Need To Know After Derecho Storm

A disaster proclamation was issued for 20 Iowa counties, according to KCRG, after Monday's derecho storm left vast amounts of damage in the area and thousands of Iowans without power. Clean up is underway and crews are hard at work removing debris from streets, fixing damaged homes and buildings, and restoring power to the area.

There's a lot of work to be done to get Cedar Rapids, Linn County and just Eastern Iowa as a whole back to normal. Things are constantly changing, so to keep up with this ever-evolving situation, here are some storm response resources and information to be aware of going forward.

The City of Cedar Rapids released storm response resource information to help you stay informed. It included the following information:

• Debris Pickup-Crews are picking up tree debris located near the street and will return to each property multiple times to remove debris, collecting whatever they can at each property. When you can, move tree debris behind the curb and keep it separate from other debris.
• Garbage Collection-
  • Carts must be located at the street in front of your home, NOT the alley.
  • Double bag any spoiled food that won’t fit in your cart and place the bag on the ground next to your garbage cart.
  • Extra bags of spoiled food will not require an extra garbage tag.
  • Debris and materials damaged in the storm do not need to go into your GARBY cart. Place these items near the curb. Keep debris out of the street and sidewalk. Keep garbage debris in separate piles from tree debris.
  • Work with your neighbors to locate extra garbage carts that were moved by the storm.
  • Contact solid-waste-recycling@cedar-rapids.org or 319-286-5897 to report damaged carts and lids
  • Week of August 16- Garbage collection will be prioritized on your regular collection day. They will re-run routes later in the week if necessary. When resources allow, recycling collection will resume.

For additional resources including meals and shelter, counseling, generator and chainsaw safety, home repair and tree service tips, and more visit Cedar-Rapids.org.

• Where to charge mobile devices-
  • Downtown Public Library
  • U.S. Cellular Center (also no-cost Wi-Fi station)
  • Marion Police Station
  • Twin Pines Golf Course Parking Lot
  • Northwest Recreation Center Parking Lot.
• Where to do laundry-

We spoke with Cedar Rapids Public Works Director Jen Winter this week regarding how efforts are going in the area and what to expect. You can hear that interview below:

The National Guard arrived in Linn County on Friday to assist citizens and the city with clean-up efforts. Get the latest information on what's going on in the area and more HERE and on the app.