Tornado damage in Iowa

[cpparker]

My name is Chris and I am  a new member.  Our timber was badly damaged by a tornado this past June.  We have owned the property for 10 years and have been working with a forester to improve the timber stand. 

We have talked with many of the contacts our forester has and after walking the timber and making some cuts, none of them are interested in a salvage logging because there are too many unknowns with the quality of the hardwoods (Red and white oak and shagbark hickory).

My wife and I have been working with a friend who is part of a chainsaw disaster relief crew to clean up and prepare areas for replanting.  I do not currently have access to the map/location feature and would be interested to hear from others with advice or who have gone through this for additional ways to market the logs.  Or if there are members in the vicinity who are interested in firewood or logs for milling I would be willing to discuss.

Looking forward to the feedback and happy to be a member of the family!




  

 

[mike_belben]

What does a cord of firewood bring in your area and do you have the capacity or interest to sell firewood?

[firefighter ontheside]

Man, I feel your pain.  14 years ago we had a tornado go thru and knock down hundreds of our big yellow pines.  What a mess.  Tree after tree all facing east.  I found a logger who used horses to skid logs.  We only got $20/1000, but the way we looked at it we got paid for someone else to clean up the mess.  Of course we had tops and limbs to deal with later, but at least part of it was gone. 

I would look for a small operation.  They may be more interested than a large scale logger.  Especially if the price is right.

[firefighter ontheside]

This was my driveway.  It took us 6 hours just to cut out 8' logs enough to clear the driveway.  Luckily I had just bought that little Kubota.

[Resonator]

X2 on the firewood. There is a section on Firewood and Wood Heating in the forum too. No matter what you'll probably want to get a logger come in and cut them into saw logs, and skid them out to a landing area. A lot quicker then doing it yourself. Good luck!

[Southside]

I am sorry to tell you but you don't have any saw logs there that are marketable.  Between the wind shear damage and time they have been down mills won't buy them for saw logs.  You may, and I say may, be to sell them for pulp if there is a market around, but that is iffy with wood that has been down that long. 

I really only see one choice, firewood, I would think there is a decent chance you would be able to get someone with a skidder to come in and take the wood if they have a firewood business, but I don't think they will pay for it.  I have sawn, tornado trees, they are split, torn, ripped, and basically a mess, and that was only an F1. 

Truly, I feel for you.   

[mike_belben]

I do firewood.  Guy with a thousand acres that is 4 miles from me had a tornado tear up approximately 70 acres.   Told me come get all i want.  I said id take whats along the road for free, but after that i have to charge to cover my expenses.  This years firewood dont pay until next year and the money from last years is gone.  Even if i dont charge labor, the machines dont fuel themselves.

[jason.weir]

We almost never get tornadoes, but in 2009 we had a f2 go through our area, cut about a 50 mile path.  The mills in the area would not take the twisted & broken logs.  Firewood was cheap for a while as everyone was selling it.  I milled a bunch of pine for my use.  The logs might have looked worthless but the lumber was fine.

Sounds like you have a similar situation, loggers\mills don't want the potentially worthless logs.  You might have better luck selling a finished product if you can get the hauled out & cut cheap enough.

Jason 

[samandothers]

Welcome Chris.  Sorry for the situation you are having to deal with.

[stihltoomany]

Send pm if you want. Where are you? I forget where all tornados hit. I am in cedar county.

[thecfarm]

I don't know what to say.  :(
I would be so over whelmed.
We had a bad storm that went through a small area,many years ago.Maybe 10-20 acres??,Sumner,Maine. What a mess. Lots and lots of trees knocked over just like yours. Up rooted too.

[Hans1]

My farm was hit in June of 2015 looks similar to yours on about 80 acres of it. We were not able to salvage much of it at all. It wasn't any thing really great timber wise to begin with but makes some great habitat now. We did get some disaster money from FSA to clean up any crop acres and rebuild some fence. I am in south central Iowa Monroe county