Now that the snow has mostly melted, I did some further examination of the damage we had from the storm.
Lost some branches from the crab apple tree, which will get stripped, cut up, and put on the drying rack.
And the far end support for my wire antenna got ripped off the fence post it was screwed to when the limbs from the ash tree snapped.
It tore the lag screws right out by the roots. I was lucky I had it mounted the way I did, as the short lags I used acted like a "mechanical fuse", and saved the wire from breaking.
As to what brought down the antenna, well, we're gonna need a bucket truck and/or man lift to get up there and remove the limbs.
Looks like one limb peeled away, and what was left couldn't support the limb above it.
Gutter zero, tree one!
When the arborist was here the last time, he recommended we get these two cut back some so they could handle wet snow better. We also need to get this tree inoculated against the Emerald Ash Borer, which is slowly working it's way up here.
Oh, well, at least we'll get some "free" firewood out of this.
Praise God it wasn't worse. 🙂
ReplyDeleteMy wife was in the room in that corner of the house when it hit. First thing she thought of was EARTHQUAKE!!
DeleteYou might be able to rent a scissor lift.
ReplyDeleteThe tree guys we use have all that stuff, and know how to get the limbs down safely. This is one of these "we'll pay" things.
DeleteProbably the wisest move. You've met my sister. One snow storm she used her 12 gauge to remove snow from the high branches.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of load?
DeleteIt will be easy to get the antenna back up. Are the ash branches blocking that for the time being? Glad that there was no major damage by those limbs. I once lost my electric drop to a falling branch. Occurred when we had 100 MPH straight line winds up in North Texas back in May 2007.
ReplyDeleteI could have the antenna back in service in half an hour, but I have to get it untangled from the tree branches, and move it out of the way for the tree guys when they come. I'd always wondered if I made the mounting "strong enough" to withstand the wind loads here. It did that just fine for two winters and had the advantage that it was "weak enough" to come loose when the limbs hit the support rope.
DeleteGlad it didn't come through the roof!
ReplyDeleteYou and me both! Sweet Little Wife was in that room (she was getting the "guest bedroom" ready) and when it hit, the first thing she thought was "EARTQUAKE!!!!"....
DeleteIt went boom real good!
Free firewood. That's about the only good thing to come out of a storm like that.
ReplyDeleteYeah, and it's everywhere all over town. Some of it is softwood, like cottonwood, and some is hardwood like this ash, and another big branch off the crab apple tree. I bet we get at least two winters out of this!
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