TMC in the Community

on Monday, August 24, 2020 in Company News


On Monday 8/10, Iowa, along with some neighboring states, were struck by a rare storm called derecho. Derecho’s are hurricane-like, straight-line wind’s exceeding 58mph but typically less than 100mph. In Iowa, winds were recorded as high as 126 mph in Benton County. Per the National Weather Service, a derecho of that caliber only occurs once in a decade in the Midwest.

(Derecho damage pictured on the right, photo credit: Kirk Monnier)

Iowa Derecho 2020 TMC Transportation Storm Damage

After the storm rolled through, it left hundreds of thousands of people with damage including, but not limited to: trees on houses and cars, power outages, and houses destroyed or torn apart by the strong winds.

TMC employees, as always, are committed to supporting one another through hardships. We, along with many others, rallied together to help clean up Iowa. David Kroeger, a License Specialist at TMC, was in Marion helping his parents’ and brother’s house. They were both hit extremely hard, including several other houses in the area. “Fortunately, they got power back on Friday [four days after the derecho] and before most people in the community.” David said, “Thankfully, they are all safe and sound.”

Even more people came to help the following day. “On Saturday, a group of Amish from Keosauqua, Iowa came to Marion to help with the cleanup efforts. My parents ordered pizzas and soda/water to feed them all.”

Another TMC employee, Fuel Manager Kirk Monnier, helped clean up grain bins that were damaged. “There is a lot of work to do and many people to help.” At TMC, we are grateful to share some of the stories of our employees and thankful that everyone is safe.

There is still a lot of clean up to do. If you are looking for safe ways to help: