Tornado work

[The Branch Doctor]

Last Thursday morning a class III tornado blasted through Windsor Colorado and absolutely wasted the place.:(

I've never gone storm chasing before so I have no experience dealing with devastation on that level.:O

Friday morning we went out there and jumped in to the chaos of ground zero with both feet and.... I'm not sure I have the words that can describe the insanity I swam in for the rest of the day.:|:

The raw power that mother nature possesses is unbelievable! I've never worked a day in my life that was so physically, mentally, and (this one caught me off guard) emotionally draining.

I've got a bunch of pics but they don't come remotely close to what it was like being there neck deep in the shat.:(

[squisher]

Crazy man!:O

[sotc]

wow! the power of nature is incredible! work safe bro!

[The Branch Doctor]

And some more...

[sotc]

i love how that ladys grinning, cant do anything else about it:)

[The Branch Doctor]

Here's an old boxelder that blew over onto a house that I had to remove.

[sotc]

is the "d-3" on the house a FEMA tag?
shoulda got your buddies bucket truck!

[MasterBlaster]

It looks like you have a lotta work ahead of you, sweet!

[stehansen]

We're any people killed? Looks like you have your work cut out for you. Good luck and work safe.

[The Branch Doctor]

Not sure if that was a fema tag Willie.

The street my groundie took the pictures at was a few blocks from where the neighborhood was totally wiped out so you could say the pics are of a "good" area.

I have a client bout 3 miles to the north of the pics. As we were driving over there we drove by barns (big ones) that were scattered into little pieces all over the fields. My client and his 3 neighbors got pounded hard too, windows, trees, sheds, trailers, whatever, got tossed around like a kid playing in the sand box.


Hell, I saw a spruce that was 80' tall 32"ish wide that didn't get knocked over like the rest of the trees, instead, it got ripped out of the ground root ball and all and landed 50-60 ft away. That a big friggin tree and it flew!:O:O

Mind blowing chit mang!

[Skwerl]

Last headline I saw said 9 people were killed. :(
Storm work is emotionally draining. I had my fill of it 4 years ago, and hardly a week goes by without some fucking idiot saying "Boy, all you need is another hurricane to get a bunch more work!" and the rage builds up all over again. Just be thorough and careful and don't let others force you into getting in a rush and taking stupid chances. Guys like you are the ones that everybody else needs right now and you can't help anyone if you get yourself hurt. Just take it one day at a time, one house at a time and do what you can do.

[MasterBlaster]

"Rage?" Are you sure that's the right word?

[Skwerl]

Rage at idiot homeowmers who think that all I want to do is hack down healthy trees. Yes, rage.

The loss of trees in the Lake Conway area where I grew up was emotionally devastating. The first time I drove through some of those neighborhoods I cried at the loss. The worst part of the cleanup was people wanting me to cut down more trees that weren't damaged. More trees were lost to arborphobia than to the hurricanes.

[MasterBlaster]

Don't bust a blood vessel over nada!

I don't care what an idiot homeowner thinks of me. Why should I? They're idiots.

Right? :what:

[The Branch Doctor]

It's weird, usually I would be all pumped up to go kick ass and make a lot of money... not on this one, I'm almost dreading it.

Dealing with tragedy, no matter how lucrative, is very difficult... especially amidst mass chaos.

[Banned by Squirrels]

Least you don't have to worry 'bout breaking anything... ;)

[Hollywood]

We just had a few tornados come through the north suburbs, only 20 miles from St. Paul proper. Haven't received any calls yet. Actually looks like more home damage than tree damage. I don't like storm work, too stressful!

[Old Monkey]

I like working normal hours and making people happy with how beautiful their trees look.

Have you found any straw stuck into any of those trees?

[Bodean]

It's amazing the trees that are still standing.

The failed ones usually had to have some kinda defect going? yeah?

Great Pictures too.

[MasterBlaster]

Least you don't have to worry 'bout breaking anything... ;)


Just yourself! :\:

[sawinredneck]

It's amazing the trees that are still standing.

The failed ones usually had to have some kinda defect going? yeah?

Great Pictures too.

Thats not th way a tornadoe works Deva. Half the tree is gone no idea where, and the other half loks perfectly normal!! One house is just vaporized, nothing but a hole in the ground while the house next door is just as it was the day before, no broken glass, no mising shingles.
Until you see it, you really never will get it!

[The Branch Doctor]

Just yourself! :\:

Big time! I've got a bunch of trees that I have to go up and get large hangers out of and the hangers are actually large branches and leads from OTHER trees. It's crazy to see a huge chunk of a silver maple waaaay up in an elm 30 yrds away.

Then the next thing I'm thinking is "Aw f$#k, how the hell am I gonna get that thing outta there?":what:

[Bodean]

Sounds Fun, Be Safe.

[The Branch Doctor]

Until you see it, you really never will get it!

I think that is what I'm trying to emphasize cause I don't have the words that can quite describe it.

Oh wait, war zone.... and we got our arses kicked!

[sawinredneck]

Until you see it, you really never will get it!

I think that is what I'm trying to emphasize cause I don't have the words that can quite describe it.

Oh wait, war zone.... and we got our arses kicked!

And that doesn't even cover it!! In a war zone there is even damage, a tornado shows no mercy here, and leaves the next one alone.
2X4's stuck in trees, straw in glass, things you can't even imagine!

[Bodean]

Sounds like the same location "Twighlight Zone" was filmed.

I can't even imagine being in a tornado.
I think of witches with ruby slippers and little people.

I was saying "sounds fun" referring to the rigging challenges of tornadoado trees,
not the fact there was a tornado. That's terrible.

[The Branch Doctor]

I knew what you were saying. It's just that even the fun stuff isn't fun on this one. I can't explain it... there's just a cold vibe in the trees...


I know that sounds stupid but like I said... I can't explain it.

[sotc]

guess im in the same boat as deva. closest ive seen are dust devils and the rigging scenarios are playing through my mind

[No_Bivy]

be careful...dont let the pressure make you hurry, thats when you will fock up and get hurt.

[cybergeek23851]

I knew what you were saying. It's just that even the fun stuff isn't fun on this one. I can't explain it... there's just a cold vibe in the trees...


I know that sounds stupid but like I said... I can't explain it.

I know man! I know exactly what you are saying. I had to do some post-tornado site surveys in a neighboring city, recently. The first morning after, I was sitting on the highway amongst a mass of twisted pines. The smell of the sap was strong in the air, their was just a "chill" that couldn't be explained. If it was just the shock setting in after seeing Mother Nature's wrath or the fact that I had been through there the day before, and realized it would never be the same again... it's just a chill.

[sawinredneck]

Yeah, the "Chill"!! I liken it to the "smell of death" when you walk into an ICU!!

NOTHING is right, and nothing feels right about it!!

[Jamin Mayer]

Dang Jason. Looks rough over there. I've been wanting to drive up there to see the extent of the damage first hand. I can't do work out there because I would have to inconvenience scheduled/paying customers.--I'm afraid, I'd also loose a lot of customers. I don't know how you guys are doing it. You must be working looong hours.

Like commented before, think thoroughly and be safe.

[TC3]

Shock does weird stuff to people. Being afraid for their lives one day & getting their brains to function right the next is almost too much. Immediate hazards will be the only thing addressed for weeks. Tree repair & subsequent biz comes way later, if at all.
Watch for power lines, watch for power lines, watch for power lines.
Have lotsa patience with customers... their shock often comes out as anger.
Be safe, man.
Thanks for the pix. More if / when you can ? I'm sure it doesn't begin to describe what your eyes are seeing & your heart is feeling.

[The Branch Doctor]

I've been in some crazy ass trees doing some sketchy rigging and I've never come close to the overwhelming feelings that encompassed me on Friday. I FELT that chit.

Bone chilling.

[will]

We had the biggest wind storm in 30 years in our parts a month ago.we are still cleaning up. take care of your self man.

[Al Smith]

I've never seen a class 3 but I had a class one go right over my head a few years ago and had a post on the forum about it . Eerie would be a good description .

The hail was coming at a perfect 90 degrees to the road I was on .I stopped of course.When the winds hit a woods about 1/4 mile ahead of where I was at the time it looked like artillery fire from chit going every where ,dang .That was just the head winds .

I had made it to my house when the actual twister went over .Just prior to,the provebial calm .When it passed over it was like a giant vacuum,the tree limbs sucked right up in the air,weird . 30 seconds later,it was all over .

It twisted the tops out of two of my trees,tripped a 100 foot hickory and just kept going . The damned thing might knock over half a dozen trees one place and miss every thing for half a mile . I think in all it must have knocked over a dozen barns but didn't get the first house .Which is very lucky and very amazing .

All that said ,it happens so fast there is no where to run ,no where to hide .:O

[Koa Man]

I'm glad we don't get what I would consider a real tornado here. They are far more scary than hurricanes, which we also rarely get.

[The Branch Doctor]

Here's a few more carnage pics.

[MasterBlaster]

Man! :(

[Skwerl]

Wow, that's hard to imagine. Brings back memories of the storm work I've done.

How are you holding up?

[MasterBlaster]

Yea, are you working yourself to death?

[Burnham]

Boyoboy, Doc...have to take my hat off to you and the rest handling that mess and sorrow. Be careful, please.

[The Branch Doctor]

I'm alright guys, thanks for asking! I'll be in and out of that town for a while.... seems like the damage is endless. It still bothers me but nothing like it did that first day.... I pretty much did a swan dive into a pool of chaos that day!:\:

Anyway, I'm working in Ft. Collins tomorrow so I don't have to even think about that place.:D

Thanks again for being concerned everybody!!!!!!! I REALLY appreciate it!:)

[sawinredneck]

Slow low and steady!!!
Then take some time for yourself, you can't help everyone right now, so keep you're sanity!

[The Branch Doctor]

Word bro!

[sotc]

that first pic a trailer park?

[The Branch Doctor]

that first pic a trailer park?

Nope, it's what's left of a row of storage units.

[Paul B]

Doc, take your time, work safe and make a decent buck at it. see you when you get it done.

dont rush, dont be greedy and dont disregard safety for $$. In the long run I betcha it will bite you in the a$$.

be well amigo!

[vharrison]

Glad you are holding up okay, work safe. Take your time and think it through!

[The Branch Doctor]

Word, I hear ya Paul.... that's how I'm rolling.

Thanks Gigi.

[DTW902]

Keep your eye on the tree's that are laid over. As you unload some of them, the trunk will try to stand back up. As you have found out everything is under tension. And it is hard to tell were they will fly in those twisted up clumps that used to be trees.
It is devastating I hate working them, wait till the politics kick in, Like we are sorry we can't hook your power back up until you get it up to code. :X
It sucks, just take it slow and do what you can, stay safe.