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Climate Cast ®
Ben Cathey, Ben Revier and Matt Alvarez

When powerful windstorms become more common, wildlife feel the impact

A raccoon held by a veterinarian covers its eyes with its paws.
A raccoon taken in by the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota in 2026.
Courtesy of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota

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Close-up of a small bird held in a veterinarian's hands.
Veterinarian Lindsay Martin inspects an American robin brought into the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center after a storm in July 2026.
Courtesy of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota

Derechos are devastating, fast-moving bands of thunderstorms capable of producing destructive winds. Minnesota has experienced several, including the Boundary Waters blowdown in 1999. But research suggests derechos could become twice as common in a warming climate.

MPR News chief meteorologist Ben Cathey spoke with members of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota in Roseville about the impacts these storms can have on wildlife.

He also spoke with Logan Bundy, a meteorologist at Northern Illinois University, about what derechos could look like in the future.

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