Wind Storm

Heavy rainfall was predicted for April 2. We had the rain but there were also extremely high winds. I was in town for a doctor’s appointment. Patients and staff sheltered in the basement there. Molly was on the ridge and experienced the worst of it.

Bands of high wind crossed our ridge from west to east, like tines on a rake, toppling or breaking oaks, hickories, maples, and pines. Fortunately our buildings were mostly spared (a branch punched a hole in a shed’s roof). The garden and solar panel were also spared. The neighboring camp was also spared. These areas were the gaps between the tines.

I’m showing a few photos and the commentary will begin south of the garden and move northwards. South of the garden there was a stand of tall pines that shaded the solar panels in midday during winter. Those pines are mostly gone leaving a couple of stragglers. One of the pines when it fell lightly brushed the southern fence of the garden.

A large maple fell into the garden area with its top just brushing the frame for a pair of solar panels. Power for our neighbors was out for days; power lines lay on the ground in the hollow. We’ve been lucky and still have power. This had been one of the maples we’d tapped for maple sap in the past.

The county line road between the garden and the group of buildings that make up our home is filled with downed trees. This large pine snapped off about 12 to 16 feet from the ground.

I’ve been cutting a path to the road from the ATV shed following the trail we normally use. The branches are from fallen oak and maple trees. There’s a lot of cleanup still to do clearing the branches.

A few trees fell to the north of us but the tines dug deeply into the hillside to the north of the camp. This is a relatively flat section of road along a hillside. Trees fell across the road and a path for our ATV and UTV has been cleared (thanks Tom for helping). This large oak’s trunk shattered from the force of the wind. A large plank-like section from the trunk lies about 20 feet away further north.

There’s a lot of cutting and clearing required. My plan is to first clear a path through the trees across roads on our property. Further south there is less clearing involved. Once the path has been cleared I need to go back and widen the space for larger vehicles. Cut oak, maple, and hickory will be split and stacked. These roads are important if there’s ever a fire out here. Keeping them clear would help control the spread.

It’s going to take some getting used to the changes in our forest.

April 8, 2024