With outages across Storm Lake, Hy-Vee was one of the few places with power

STORM LAKE, Iowa (KTIV) - Trees were down and trucks were toppled over in the Storm Lake, Iowa area after strong winds hit the area.

And with thousands of people experiencing power outages and assessing the damage to their homes and property, Friday was the start of a long recovery for the community.

KTIV spent the day in Storm Lake and heard how residents woke to no power, leaving them searching for resources. With power out throughout the city, residents had to leave their homes to find resources. Some told KTIV they had to search for somewhere to eat.

Hy-Vee was one of the only places they could go to get food. Representatives for the grocery store said a disaster relief team is sent out to areas hit hard by severe storms. The team brought a generator to the store, from Des Moines, Iowa, so workers could get hot food out to customers.

“No power at home. You can’t cook. Unless you have gas. So we decided it was time to find a place to eat,” said Terry Michael, a Storm Lake resident. “I did have to jimmy the garage door to get in and get my car out.“

Families also found necessities at the Hy-Vee grocery store. They also stopped there to stay warm.

“We had to snuggle up together under the blanket. And this morning the house was a little bit cooler and that’s another reason why we left. That way we can stay somewhere that’s a little warmer until the power comes back on,“ said Katelyn Esquibel, another Storm Lake resident.

Hy-Vee’s disaster team sent people from Sioux City, Sioux Falls, and Fairmont, Minnesota, to help with operations.

As of Friday afternoon, a majority of the power has been restored to Storm Lake and surrounding communities.

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