From the City Manager

On August 10, with very little time to prepare, the City of Cedar Rapids was hit with a derecho, bringing wind speeds of well over 100 mph and causing widespread devastation throughout our community.

During and immediately after the storm, City crews began responding to emergency needs, including clearing tree debris from roads, responding to emergency calls, and more. Beyond the critical safety and shelter needs, we knew in these early days that it was going to take years of thoughtful work and planning to recover from the devastation of the storm.

Trees are an important part of the identity of Cedar Rapids, and replanting and restoration of our tree canopy is a priority. The City is very lucky to have Trees Forever, a nationally recognized organization, right here in our community. We are fortunate to have a strong public-private partnership, working together with Trees Forever to implement the ReLeaf Cedar Rapids plan and fundraising effort. ReLeaf Cedar Rapids is a visionary plan to build back the 669,000 trees — 70 percent of our tree canopy — that was lost. It requires a significant investment of resources, but the impact of our efforts will be felt for generations.

I would like to thank the Cedar Rapids community for your support and patience during this challenging time. From an extremely difficult and trying situation, Cedar Rapids continues to show we are a strong and resilient community. Thank you for supporting this effort and showing the best of Cedar Rapids.

Jeffrey Pomeranz

Cedar Rapids City Manager

Jeffrey Pomeranz, Cedar Rapids City Manager