Iowa Farm Fields Hit with Hail, Seed Dealer Says Farmers Dealing with Damage in 30-Mile Stretch

Areas of the Corn Belt in need of moisture are finally seeing rain this week, but it came with severe crop damage to portions of Iowa.

Rain fell Thursday across areas of Iowa, which could help improve the parched crop. The rain followed another storm system that passed through Tuesday. However, the Tuesday storm system also brought hail and damage to some Iowa fields.

Video from Monte Goodyk on Twitter shows the storm dropped so much hail that it piled up several inches high, and at first glance, it even looked like a blanket of snow.

There are reports in the northwestern part of the state of heavy crop damage. Farm Journal spoke to a seed dealer in Linn County, Iowa. He reported the heavy hail hit fields in a one-mile wide, 30-miles long stretch. He says some fields are a total loss, with farmers already sourcing the seed to replant this week, if weather cooperated. He said the damaged fields are just 8 miles north of the derecho damage zone from last year.

The hail was reported to be nickel-sized, but the National Weather Service also had reports of half-dollar sized stones in Linn County.

While the hail damage was limited, the recent rains could help crop conditions across Iowa. USDA’s weekly Crop Progress Report Monday showed Iowa’s corn condition ratings fell 7 points in the good to excellent category. That followed a week where corn growing conditions crumbled 14 points in just seven days.