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Five years ago, pictures told the story of the derecho.

The 140 mph winds that hit Eastern Iowa on Aug. 10, 2020, downed trees and power lines, damaged homes and businesses, flattened crops flattened and upturned lives.

During and after the storm — for months — photojournalists from The Gazette captured images of the damage. This year, to mark the fifth anniversary of the derecho, they returned to many of those locations to capture updated images.

To see the before and after images, move the slider at the center of the photos below to the left and right. The “before” images are from August 2020, and the “after” images from July 2025.

Third Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids

In 2020, a contractor was

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