In the last few years, it seems that hurricanes, tornadoes and resultant flooding have become stronger and stronger. Maybe chalk it up to a warming planet, which amplifies the power of these storms. “Five-hundred-year storms,” have become 100-year storms—or sometimes they seem more like annual catastrophes, especially in, “tornado alley.” As if that weren’t enough, severe electrical storms could just as easily shut you down if you’re not adequately protected.
In 2018, a tornado struck the Marshalltown, Iowa area, causing damage to the JBS pork processing facility. While most of the damage was in the distribution area (rail cars and truck trailers severely damaged), the processing area was apparently still operational. The plant, which processes about 20,000 hogs per day, had to be shut down until damages could be estimated and repairs made primarily to the distribution area. The storm damage meant that the animals to be processed would have to be rerouted temporarily to other facilities. Fortunately, no one at the plant was injured.