Winter storm 09. Destroyed the Patch of lobolly pine. Photo intense.

ScottAR · February 16, 2009, 11:12:59 PM

As promised, the saga begins...

The whole town of Paragould and most of it's neighbors went black.
The main cross-country line supplying this whole area failed. That was
repaired pretty quickly and then they started working on the main loop
that feeds the town. We got power at the house not quite two days
after this mess started so we were **Very** fortunate. Some out in
the rural areas are still out. The power crews have been asking farmers
for help getting to the lines. Pretty common to see a power truck
getting pulled/dragged across a muddy field by a 4x4 tractor.

Dad and I have most of our mess cleaned up but still have some trees
to take down. Two were badly damaged several years ago in another
winter storm and frankly after this, there's not much tree left. The
backhoe started putting coolant into the crankcase so I gotta fix that
first. Lost my favorite bird watching tree.

The whole area have been invaded, first by power crews and now by
tree services... Love the power crews, leery of the tree services...

We've been swamped at work selling supplies in a usually slow time
of the year for us. The bosses are happy but the Indians are weary.

Banjo picker · February 17, 2009, 07:09:31 AM

Quote from: Wudman on February 09, 2009, 06:39:06 PM
You will have a dogleg but usable material may exist above the break in the future. Wudman

We got the big ice back in about 92 I believe. Now I have quite a few pines that are of decent size, but have the aboved mention dogleg. These trees were fairly small then, I wish I had cut them all down at the time and started over. I had a friend around Ripley ms. that had a track of pine that was just about ready to cut for power poles. They were all ruined.

On another note of the too close spacing. I can show you what a 30 plus pine will look like if you don't space them close. They may get girth quick but they also will put on so many branches that they wont make anything except maybe the knottly pine look of the 60's . Which I hapen to like. I have left them purposefully so saw when the time comes. Tim

SwampDonkey · February 17, 2009, 07:23:40 AM

I agree with you Banjo picker on spacing, but many folks don't follow up with intermediate spacings as the tree gains height. So you get your height growth but at some point you begin to lose strength and then a thinning is real risky business.

pineywoods · February 17, 2009, 08:37:48 AM

Glad to hear Paragould is coming back to life. Our local church association has a portable shower unit in town somewhere. Last I heard they are still there providing free hot showers to recovery crews. Also have a volunteer chainsaw crew working the area around springdale. Talked to our director sunday, he's trying to acquire a 30 kw diesel gen set to have available for the next ice storm, flood, tornado, etc.

ScottAR · February 17, 2009, 11:46:59 PM

Thanks Pineywoods... It actually could have been much worse here.

The town of Piggot (NE of here)was basicly wiped out as far as electrical infrastructure. Over 90% of their poles went down and the main lines to
the town were down for 5 miles straight(89 poles in a row).

A lineman I talked to says a crew can put up and wire about 5 poles a day
assuming good terrain and no problems so it could be awhile yet.

In the town I understand they were just unhooking the wires and sawing
off the rest of the pole and shoving it aside with a backhoe.

There's several
folks still out in the Boothill of MO. Kennett is about 75% restored.

My county just awarded the cleanup contract to a firm out of Poplar Bluff, MO.
I was hoping they would use someone semi local. Gonna be a mulch mountain
out at the landfill.

Larry · February 18, 2009, 07:04:43 AM

Quote from: pineywoods on February 17, 2009, 08:37:48 AM
Also have a volunteer chainsaw crew working the area around springdale.

Saw them either on the TV or in the paper. I was impressed because they had on all the protective gear...hardhat and chaps. Heard some folks bragging on em in the restaurant also. 8) 8) 8)

semologger · February 18, 2009, 10:22:40 PM

The farmers that was pulling out the crews are making some good money also. I kow a farmer that went out and bought a skidder just for pulling. They are on call and makeing around a grand a day. I wish i would of got on that gravy train. Scott how bad did crowleys ridge get hit? I found a few patches on the google maps. Some looked to be pretty big one. I looked at one close to paragould a guy was already cutting it though. I bet it needs to be cleaned up.

As far as my job i am still waiting to find out what they are going to do. The forester was taking inventory today.

ScottAR · February 19, 2009, 08:21:49 PM

Crowley's ridge state park and Lake Frierson (sp?) state park are closed
to any and all visitors so I'd say it's pretty bad.

I wish I knew more but I've tried not to travel the back roads too much as
one runs up in the middle of the power crews and they don't need my help.

I took some gravel roads today to go around a crew up on the highway.
Traffic was backing up and that's when accidents happen.
Helps to know different ways to get places.

There's a field on hwy 49 by the best western with some thin, tall pine. Three quarters of them are sheared off somewhere between 15-25 ft off the ground.
I named it the field of spears... :-\

The brush trucks are rolling now, all of em are in a hurry and half of em don't know
where they're going. I find it odd they are driving past a local landfill with a wood
grinder somewhere south. I suspect Jonesboro; 25 miles away.
This **has** to have some goobermint doings.

semologger · February 19, 2009, 08:33:16 PM

At least yall in Ark have help removing the brush. We are on our own in Mo. I wonder why that is.

If you move all your brush next to the road. The state workers will come and pick it up and haul it away for ya. Is that like that down there?

Sounds like i need to head down your way and try get some jobs lined out. I know they are going to need it to have clean up jobs on the pine. Getting trees with the tops broke out means less trimming i have to do. ;D

ScottAR · February 20, 2009, 12:46:53 AM

Has somthing to do with FEMA rolling in and declaring this or that...

All these trucks are private rigs, lots of strange accents at the
parts counter...All of em either have a company credit card or
hundred dollar bills...

Every tree in the area got a haircut that's for sure...

semologger · February 22, 2009, 12:47:53 AM

I was down your way today Scott. We went to Johnesboro. I think i seen the Patch of pine you said looks Sprars. Looks bad thats for sure.

ScottAR · February 22, 2009, 02:17:30 AM

Funny lookin' huh...

Turns out I was incorrect about the dump site... They are hauling
to a mostly closed gravel pit and burning... Kind of shame
but what else do ya do with it... and what would ya do after
this short term waste problem was over...

Went to Marmaduke and worked with Dad today...
I hate to put it like this, but the tornado tearing through there
a few years ago saved quite a bit of their power system after it
blew down most of the trees in the north part of town. Course,
the lines to the town were downed by ice so I guess I'm just
rambling now... :

semologger · February 22, 2009, 11:16:18 AM

Quote from: ScottAR on February 22, 2009, 02:17:30 AM
Funny lookin' huh...

Turns out I was incorrect about the dump site... They are hauling
to a mostly closed gravel pit and burning...

Sounds great man big bonfire. I will bring the beer you bring the hotdogs. One of these days after things get straightend back up down there i would like to come down that way. I would like to take a trip around crowleys ridge. Have a look about.

ScottAR · February 22, 2009, 09:19:47 PM

Sounds good... I give a fair nickel tour...

Went back to Marmaduke and picked up our mess... Drove around
a little after that and every tree I could see of any size had damaged
or needed to be cut down.