The Damage
Posted on October 26, 2010 Posted by John Scalzi 38 Comments
One of coincidentally-named Bradford Pears just got its branches handed to it by the windstorm. This was the same tree previously ravaged by the remains of Hurricane Ike when it blew through a couple of years ago, so this is not an entirely surprising turn of events. Even so, a little sad (and annoying, as the broken branches are currently lying across our driveway).
Fortunately at the point there is no other damage to report and it looks as if the worst of the wind storm has moved east of us now. We still have a tornado watch in effect, however, so I’ll be keeping alert until it’s over. If you’re east of me in Ohio and other midwest-y states, be aware it’s on its way and it’s nasty. Be safe.
Bradford pears … I hate them with a passion.
Sad to see it taken down just as it was about to reach full autum glory.
We have Bradfords around the parking lots where I work. They’re beautiful in the spring and the fall, but I don’t like to park near them when storms are in the forcast. The wind just takes them apart once they’ve grown to full size.
Time to get the chainsaw fired up. Hoo-ah.
We used to have two good-sized Bradford pear trees in our front yard.
A few years of windstorms later, we have zero Bradford pear trees. They were ripped to shreds, and we had to take them out completely.
Looks like you have some firewood for next season, John!
Just drive around it. In no time at all you will have a sexy curve in your drive way.
The weather radar over here in the Columbus area looks like we’re about to be eaten by that galactic-string thing from the movie “Star Trek: Generations”. I need to go see if Malcom McDowell is in my area on a scaffolding with techno-babbelish equipment…
If you contact your local county extension agent, I’ll bet they can help you find good replacements for the awful Bradfords (at least, awful in the Midwest, since they are so brittle and incompatible with the weather here).
Try this list for ideas:
http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1082.html
Happy landscaping…..
Glad you survived (relatively) unscathed!
Rich H @7: The Nexus.
Bradford pears are pretty in the fall, but I have a terrible allergic reaction to their blooms in spring.
Go for something prettier, like yellow poplars. Gorgeous autumn folliage and easy-peasy to care for.
Bradford pears are notorious for their fragility among horticulturists. Landscape designers love them because they’re quick to grow and quick to die. Not that they’ll tell you about the “quick to die” bit.
Plus…. gotta love those straight line winds. You might want to check the state of your shingles on the windward side of the house. Winds that strong will break anything weak and weaken anything strong that provides resistance.
Glad you’re all okay. Those are scary mothers. Never want to go through one again.
I’m glad that’s the only damage. It could have been worse. Are all the pets accounted for?
This is almost upon us here in Columbus. I’m hoping our old maple in the front yard doesn’t decide to go the way of the old Bradford pear.
Nastiest pears I’ve ever tasted. I hear they make good wine, though.
I’m northeast of Columbus and watching the Bradford Pear in the yard that was damaged by hurricane Ike to see if it’s going to do the same thing yours did! Just as long as we’re not nine days without power, like we were after Ike.
Continue to stay safe. And while it’s a shame about the pear tree, at least that’s the extent of the damages so far.
Glad to hear you’re well. I hit this storm less than 500 feet from home and waited out the worst of the rain in the car.
I was very glad to be in the car and not on the bike.
watching the sideways rain East of Cleveland….
Be careful cleaning it up. Pear trees are vicious when wounded.
Already cleaned up. No pear attacks.
Living inArkansas and getting waaaaay too many opportunities to observe tornadic activity, it always seems like it is the leading edge of the front that spawns things. after that passes, I’ve taken to relaxing. I mean, you can only hear the tornado sirens go off so many times without developing a laissez faire attitude about this sort of thing, especially while the TV news in little Rock covers some other, obviously more important, county. ;)
We aren’t allowed to plant Bradford pears in Hoboken any more (you have to get permission to plant a tree in Hoboken, and they won’t grant it for Bradford pears). They were extremely popular a few decades back, with two results: One, beautiful white blossoms all over every April. Two, fallen branches all the damn time, damaging cars all over town.
Pretty and dangerous.
sorry about the tree but happy that there was no other damage and that you all escaped unharmed. lucy the rescue corgi was *not* amused by the sheets of water cascading from the sky. i was not amused by her constant need to look out the door to ensure that yard was still there. how did daisy do?
Our place didn’t get too bad. The Totally Awesome Dawg was pathetically whimpering the half hour before it hit. (He don’t like them nasty thundergoboomers, not at all.) Rain looked practically horizontal at times and our water barrel needs put back but, thankfully, nothing more.
Going to have to see if it did anything else later.
(Oh, and lest I forget, I’m glad the pear tree is the worst of it your way.)
Pear wood is nice for smoking foods. I use logs from my fallen Bartlet pear tree in my charcoal grill for smoking salmon or country ribs. The end result is delicious.
It rained like hell for like 10 minutes, then it just gave up. I think all its wrath was expended upon that brazen pear tree. We’ve got a nice steady rain out of it, now, which I’ll take.
Shame about the tree, but it’s good to know that was the worst of the damage to the Scalzi Compound.
I hope the rest of you in this storm’s path also come through all right.
Congratulations on breaking a record: lowest inland US barometric pressure readings ever recorded. Hurricane-level low, according to NPR.
Oh no! Poor pear tree.
I hail from the upper regions of Alabama and we shared in this royal atmospheric beat down. There were several tornado touchdowns in the area, but it looks like no major damage.
A shame about the tree, but I’m glad you and your family are ok!
And in a single picture, you explain why we in the midwest have basements.
Sorry about the tree. Go for a dogwood next time.
I live and teach in Huber Heights (means nothing to anyone else, but John will recognize it). Got to spend close to an hour this afternoon huddled with a bunch of third graders in the supply room. We read a chapter of Harry Potter by candlelight. My back was cranky by the time we were finally allowed to get up, but I think the kids thought the whole experience was the coolest thing all year.
Anyway, sorry about the tree. I’ve got a chunk of my silver maple dangling down in front of my living room window. Ugly tree to begin with, even uglier now. I might just let that piece hang there for a few days for Halloween “ambiance.”
We’ve lost an ash tree in our front yard to the wind. :( That seems to be the only damage so far.
Bradford pear trees always blow down. Unless of course they are still mostly missing from the last storm.
First reports are usually wrong; it was one of those aspens. Spice wants to replace it with a silver maple, but I don’t think there’s room for that there. Couple of other trees in the neighborhood lost some limbs, some fences down, old standing dead trees in the common woods down. So far, all minor. Another day to go.
I duly passed on this information to my kids, who engaged in the ritualistic whining about how California is “boring” because we “don’t have any interesting weather” like the Midwest does and how “cool” thunderstorms are.
*sigh*
I lost a Bradford Pear tree yesterday, too! I live in Indianapolis, and the wind blew down a limb and split the top of the trunk. The storm hit Western Ohio a few hours after it hit us…