Derecho!

Well we are into day 3 of clean up after a Derecho blew through. Yes, that storm had a name. A derecho is more rare than a tornado. It is categorized by its direct path and they are known for their longevity, incredibly high-sustained wind speeds and fast moving nature. This one covered a 60 mile wide path from Omaha through the quad citys and on towards Chicago.


Great! Just what we needed! LOL!! Anyway, after 3 days of clean up, I think I finally have a plan. My husband and neighbor cut the wood after work and I haul it up. I think we will create a burn pile and burn the small stuff. I'm looking for volunteers to take the bigger stuff. Another neighbor has a wood burning furnace and will be taking some.


Anyway...here are some photos of what is done after 3 days. Although I got a slow start on Monday and Tuesday. Monday I had chainsaw problems. I bought the last one in town and it did not work well. Tuesday I exchanged it...Yeah! It works...but it is too heavy for me. I could cut for about 15 to 10 minutes, then I would haul wood in a wheel barrow. Tuesday night...Mike and our neighbor got a bunch cut. Another neighbor lent us his cart for the lawn tractor. Today I haulled and stacked all the wood.


There still seems to be a bunch more to do. I don't even feel like we got a dent into it...Check it out-->
This is 2 full rows with a third started. These logs ar at least 4" in diameter...a few are more than 12" in diameter.
This is the second pile of smaller stuff...There are piles all over the yard of smaller stuff that will eventually make it to the burn pit/pile I create.
This is one of 2 whole trees that came down still needing to be cut.
This is the other. It is hard to tell, but at about 8 feet up the tree snapped and fell over.
More limbs to be cut. Again, these are at least 12" in diameter at the widest point. There are at least 3 of these large limbs and many more smaller ones still waiting to be cut.
This is not a good photo...but there is an equivalent of a tree stuck in the tree. I have no idea how we are going to get that down. We have numerous stuck branches in the big Oaks and many of the Ashes have been topped.