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General Forestry => General Board => Topic started by: Tillaway on December 17, 2002, 02:20:13 PM

Title: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Tillaway on December 17, 2002, 02:20:13 PM
It may have made National news about the storm that hit California.  It packed winds up to 100 mph and did quite a bit of damage, well, at least to my barn.  It peeled the roof and siding off like a banana.  That was on Monday morning about 1:30am.  I sort of heard an explosion where the barn is so I shined the flashlight out there and saw the roof waving in the breeze.  The banging and clanking kept me up the rest of the night.

I went around after first light and starting fixing things, like the pipe for the wood stove which was all quiltered over.  Now I wish I had a mill because I will need a whack of lumber to fix the barn.

There was 12 miles of powerline on the ground and 70 power outages in the county.  I'm surprised they got the power back this fast since I'm at the end of a line the nieghbor says is the last to be fixed.
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Fla._Deadheader on December 17, 2002, 03:01:37 PM
WOW. Sure glad ya got away with light damage. We lucked out last week. A tornado set down about 2 miles from the house, but, DanG near got our shop. It bent the rails on the awning we have on the front. It went JUST on the other side of the road. Tore up a couple of houses and a couple of tin can houses. No-one seriously hurt.
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Tom on December 17, 2002, 03:18:56 PM
I remember a little blurb about some high winds out there but they made it sound so minor that I didn't think much more about it.  What kind of a storm do you have this time of the year that causes winds like that.  We have hurricanes and tornadoes but seldom any other type of high wind.  

Some of what we have always called tornadoes the weather people are calling Downbursts now.  I don't understand "downburst'" and it still looks just like tornado damage to me. A streak 600 feet wide or more that wiggles for 10 or 15 miles across the landscape is a tornado in my mind.

I'm sure glad you made it ok and hope the damage isn't too great.  This might be just the excuse you need for a little mill :D
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Tillaway on December 17, 2002, 03:44:41 PM
I guess it was the strongest storm in many years.  These are just normal El Nino storms.  Our big blows happen in the winter.  When I was living on the Oregon coast wind gusts to 50 or 60 mph were normal, they happened with every winter storm, in fact you rarely had the power flicker.  I was there for a 100 mph blow,  90 plus right down highway 101 through town.  The coast gets them like this all the time so the damage is minor if any.  When they hit an area that doesn't get them all the time then the damage is extensive, like here.  Just about everybody has some damage usually carports, awnings and those metal storage sheds all twisted up.  Lots of tree went down here, I heard nothing but chainsaws from dawn till dark yesterday as everyone tried to cut themselves out from under whatever fell down.
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Ron Scott on December 17, 2002, 04:24:14 PM
I have a daughter, son-in-law, and grandson that live in the Taho area at Squaw Valley, CA. I finally got in contact with them last night via their cell phone. They said that the storm was real bad there. Many trees over power and telephone lines.

Its been on National News here.
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Frank_Pender on December 17, 2002, 04:37:26 PM
Glad to hear you are ok, Tillaway.  the brunt of the stormy winds went South to your neighborhood, sorry.  We did have some high winds in the Cannon Beach area down to Newport, I heard.  Here we only had a few gusts up to 35 to 40 mph.  I have done a brief survery of the Tree Farm and had only two small 5" dead Firs fall tht I can find.  We have gotten a great deal of rain in the last few days, but nothing like the several inches you folks have received.  Again, glad all of you folks came through. :D
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Bro. Noble on December 17, 2002, 05:52:35 PM
We are supposed to get high winds and possibly heavy rain in the Ozarks tonight.  Spent all day with a veneer buyer and sold him 53 logs,  about half of them were in the riverbottom.  Dad and my son finished hauling them out after dark tonight.  I hauled one truckload and then did the milking.  Wish our sawlogs were on higher ground.  May have to borrow Harold's 'skidder'.

Noble
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Jeff on December 17, 2002, 06:41:11 PM
Storm is supposed to track north tonight bringing us a possible ice storm. I would rather have a foot of snow.
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Jeff on December 17, 2002, 06:43:02 PM
Noble, why dont you go find your veneer thread and fill us in on who you got to buy your veneer. Or did I miss that already?
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: CHARLIE on December 17, 2002, 07:44:27 PM
It's been pretty windy for the past two days here in SE Minnesota. The temp is right at freezing and we've got a real Frogchoking rain going on out there. Not a good time to be on the road...... :o
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Tom on December 17, 2002, 07:49:56 PM
Not a good time to be in SE Minnesota :D :D :D

Brrrrr-r-r-r-r
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: chet on December 17, 2002, 09:20:47 PM
Charlie,
  The wife and I just made our most recent trip from the UP of Michigan back to  Mayo Clinic last week. I sure am glad the weather held out till we got there and back home. :)
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: CHARLIE on December 17, 2002, 11:16:48 PM
I'm glad it held out for you too. November was colder than normal and December has been warmer than normal and now it's raining. Go figure... :-/    It's your wife that got banged up in an auto accident wasn't it? How's Mayo doing for her?
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Jeff on December 18, 2002, 02:49:39 AM
Its here! No school and I aint trying for work. 1/4 inch ice so far. I'll go saw when it warms later today.
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Bibbyman on December 18, 2002, 04:47:08 AM
62 degrees here this morning. :)  Got a little refreshing shower come through about 3:00am left some white stuff on the ground.

(https://forestryforum.com/images/YaBBImages/userpics/hail2002a.jpg)
It's not daylight yet so we have not been able to check for damage.  Storms moving in again.

You got to love Missouri weather. ;)
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Ron Scott on December 18, 2002, 06:16:43 AM
"Iced-In" today in all directions I was going to travel. Not a good day for the loggers.
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: OneWithWood on December 18, 2002, 07:46:09 AM
I am sorry to hear you all have experienced such bad weather. I am glad no one has been hurt.  Tillaway, maybe the insurance man will help you get a mill.  DanG ice is always the hardest on the trees and power lines around here.  Fortunately we have been spared the bad stuff.  The snows we got last week have melted off.  Currently it is in the 50s with gusting winds.  We are expecting some hard rains through tomorrow.  My half dug out pond is filling with water and if we get the rains they are predicting I will be done until next fall on that project.  The woods are so wet now that my dog slid down the side of a ravine yesterday.  He is normally sure footed.  Doesn't look like I will get much done by way of clearing tops or falling trees for the sawshed any time soon :(
Guess I will just have to make do with projects in the workshop for a while ;)
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: L. Wakefield on December 18, 2002, 10:30:28 AM
   We've been truly fortunate so far up here in Maine. I can't say the folks who plow snow for $$ are doing very well, tho! The ground was actually getting a bit soft underfoot a few days ago. But after 7* last night, it's stiffened back up. Mike's duck pond is full.

   I was just out surveying spruce (hopefully black spruce). I will cut one of the less picked-looking ones for a tree and then distill it for the oil after Christmas.

   At first I thought they were going to be few and far between- but out along the hemlock bog, they are all along the edge. Seem to tolerate shade and wet fairly well. I could almost just take out the large size pruners and nip one off- but I think I'll take a saw..

   I was using a walking stick, and the ground in between rock ledge areas sounds totally hollow when you thump it with a stick. So much so that at first I thought I'd fould something really weird- but after it seemed to be acres in extent, I was less apt to believe the x-files of some Stephen King stuff was going on under the surface.

   I think what it is is that there is about a 6" layer of  moss, duff, tree roots etc, and then the rock ledge- and I think in the concave areas the duff etc lifts up a little bit when it freezes- just enough to sound hollow.

   If I get around to taking a pick out there and finding something else, I'll let you know...(https://forestryforum.com/smile/alien.gif)
lw  
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Tom on December 18, 2002, 11:30:46 AM
I hope you find a friendly subteranian world under there, LW.  Wow, What stories that would make for the forum. ;D
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Tillaway on December 18, 2002, 05:15:58 PM
Batten down the hatches.  Another storm on the way here.  The county is going to wait and see how bad the storm is before declaring a state of emergency.  There is still tons of damage everywhere.  I guess I'll go out tomarrow and work until it hits... then hightail it home. :o ;D
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Ron Wenrich on December 19, 2002, 04:02:42 AM
Every time we have a big storm, most people will say "Good thing that wasn't snow"   :)

Of course, after a big snowstorm they always say "Good thing that wasn't rain"   ::)

Seems that no matter how bad the weather has been, we've usually gotten worse and gotten through it.
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: ADfields on December 19, 2002, 02:46:47 PM
Tillaway, cut down a big spruce and lash your self th the stump if it gets bad! ;D
Andy
Title: Re: Power is back, some storm...
Post by: Tillaway on December 19, 2002, 04:10:24 PM
It's not bad so far.  I was out in the woods this morning and there wasn't a breath of wind until I heard what sounded like a jet engine.  I didn't feel it but I turned around and saw the tree tops bent about horizontal from the wind, then the rain hit.  It didn't take much to talk myself into going back to the truck and heading home.(https://forestryforum.com/smile/santa.gif)