POLK CITY, Iowa — After a storm that killed three Iowans, left thousands more in the dark for weeks and destroyed countless homes and trees, one community is capturing Iowa's resiliency through art.
In Polk City's town square, a maple tree destroyed in the derecho will become that symbol. They hired Jeff Klatt, a chainsaw artist from Storm Lake, to transform the tree stump into a sculpture representing the city for all seasons and its perseverance after August's derecho.
The work began Tuesday. After the city and Klatt figured out the design, he got to work stripping the bark. The next step is marking up his wooden canvas before firing up the chainsaw.
"It'll be a snowflake, sun, a leaf and the logo, the four season and Polk City down the front," Klatt said.
He expects to finish the sculpture sometime this Friday. Klatt started his wood-carving company, Runaway Saws in 1990 in Storm Lake. Before the pandemic, he participated in county fairs through the year showcasing his skills.