Spring storm in Missouri

[Ridgewalker]

We had a big weird storm blow thru, I wasn't there but heard winds were 90-100 mph and last for 30 mins to and hour.

I lost over a 1,000...maybe 1,500 mature black oaks, white oaks and short leaf pines. It was all big stuff 18" up to 30" and larger in some cases.

Everyone in the area is dealing with the same issues...here are a few pix.

Anyone have any idea what I can do with my downed timber? I am just sick...it looks like I got clear cut except everything big is laying down with a huge root wad exposed.

 

[Ridgewalker]

We had a big storm blow thru, I wasn't there but heard winds were 90-100 mph and last for 30 mins to an hour.

I lost over a 1,000...maybe 2,000 mature black oaks, white oaks and short leaf pines. It was all big stuff 18" up to 24" and larger in some cases.

Everyone in the area is dealing with the same issues...here are a few pix.

Anyone have any idea what I can do with my downed timber? I am just sick...it looks like I got clear cut except everything big is laying down with a huge root wad exposed.

 

[Erik_in_Hoyt]

the only thing i can sauggest is to call a sawmill - or buy one of your own and cut them up into lumber. rough sawn oak makes good trailer decking -- or siding for a pole barn.
Wish I lived closer, I'd offer to take a few of those trunks off your hands.

 

[tallyho8]

It looks like it looked here after Katrina.

The problem here was that there was so much timber down that you couldn't sell any of it and you couldn't even give any away for firewood because everyone had too much.

I burned pecan trees in my pasture for over a month without the fire ever going out.

I hope you have better luck.

 

[LBrown59]

We had a big weird storm blow thru, I wasn't there but heard winds were 90-100 mph and last for 30 mins to and hour.

I lost over a 1,000...maybe 1,500 mature black oaks, white oaks and short leaf pines. It was all big stuff 18" up to 30" and larger in some cases.

Everyone in the area is dealing with the same issues...here are a few pix.

Anyone have any idea what I can do with my downed timber? I am just sick...it looks like I got clear cut except everything big is laying down with a huge root wad exposed.

Sorry to hear about that.

 

[scott_vt]

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Anyone have any idea what I can do with my downed timber? I am just sick...it looks like I got clear cut except everything big is laying down with a huge root wad exposed.

Good Evenin Ridgewalker,
Sorry to hear about all that loss !

I might suggest having a portable saw mill come in and put some good furniture grade lumber up !

I love to build furniture, and it sounds like you have plenty of that kind of lumber available for those that might be interested in your area !

 

[xlr82v2]

I'll second that, harvest the logs, and start cutting the tops for firewood. Make the best of a bad situation...

I had the same storms move through here too... we got lucky here at home, not much wind, but lots of heavy rain and some hail too. A couple miles north or south, and you can see lots of wind damage. Our power was also out for several hours, got to run the generator for a bit once more... gotta love the storms.

 

[jimmyj]

That's a horrible disaster! Maybe you can sell the timber and use some of the money to "rebuild".

You forgot the pics I think.

 

[Thomas]

Sorry to hear about your loss.
Portable saw mill than drying time until the market price goes up.

 

[EddieWalker]

...here are a few pix.

Sorry to hear about your damages. Did you post pics?

If you have the time and the room, then holding onto the logs long term might be worthwhile, but if the damage was widespread, then allot of others will probably be doing the same thing. After Katrina, the price of lumber dropped to the point of being almost worthless. The sawmills were turning trucks away and loggers were having to make appointments when they could bring in lumber. That was hundreds of miles away from my area, and the that's what was going on with the local mills.

If it was me, I'd probably waste a bunch of time trying to get a few of the better logs out, then spend more time trying to find a buyer or somebody to saw them up for me, then just end up burning all of it. Of course, I've done this several times already with logs that I've taken out and wanted to find a buyer for. It's not as easy as I thought it would be when there is allot of timber production in the area.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[EddieWalker]

I replied to your other post on the same thing, but after seeing your pictures, wanted to reply to this post too. From the pics, I'd just burn it to get rid of it and clean up the place.

Do you have a grapple? I've found the best way to clear and get rid of timber is to cut it into lengths, usually four, and carry them to the burn pile. Cutting them makes them easy to carry through the woods, but it also exposes the end grain, which allows them to burn.

Eddie

 

[czechsonofagun]

So sorry to hear that. I can imagine how it hurts to see the forest upside down. I would invest in a sawmill to save the wood - rip it into boards and sell it or use it myself.
What does the insurance company say about it?

 

[MossRoad]

Since these two threads were redundant and many people are interested, I merged them together.

 

[Ridgewalker]

Thanks for the fix...sorry about the DP. I went back down today, here are a before and after pix of my campground(use fire ring for reference) and one of my trailor which was chained to a tree at the campground. The trailor got it 4 times, it got picked up by a rootwad and then 3 pines fell on it.

I am calling the insurance company in the AM and I am also going to try to find a logger. I have heard the timber market sucks and this will only make it worse.

I lost 90% of my best timber. Most are not broken, it'a all rootwads up on their side with trees looking like pick up stix. This is truly heartbreaking, I worked pretty hard to get the property cleaned up and now it's worse than when I started.

 

[Mike Costello]

Ridgewalker, the storm that passed through Missouri was called a "Derecho" or straight line wind. I got hit here in Dunnegan..the wind speed came in at about 80mph. Lots of downed trees around here also and building damage. I had some minor damage to my 10 acres, but nothing compared to yours. Sorry to see all the damaged trees in your post. Hope you fare well.
This wind was powerful and lasted for about 30 minutes. My 3" diameter flagpole was bent about 20 degrees and the flag ripped off the pole. I found it some 500' away across the road ripped off the grommets. My wife's chicken coop (build in progress) was literally moved 2' off its pad. The road to my house and other neighbors was blocked by a downed tree, so a neighbor and I hustled down there with my tractor and chain saws to open the road. Could have been worse! Anyone else from Missouri suffer damage?

 

[Lurch]

Mostly just branches down. One small tree fell across the drive. Lost power for 9 hrs. Found all sorts of things in the yard. Siding, 1"x12"x3' board complete with nails and roofing felt attached, part of a rubbermaid tote. Lots of shingles.

 

[MODiesel]

No damage around here, but I've seen what "Derecho" or straight line winds can do around what's left of the town of Shotwell, MO. A few years ago they experienced something similar with the result being timberlines that looked like a bomb went off. And I'm not kidding when I say that one owner just, this past winter, got one fencerow finally cleaned up and regraded.

So I really hope the original poster has a better time of it. If it was me, I'd find a decent large CC saw and a portable mill and would start saving logs and sawing boards. Keep it dry and either use the wood yourself for projects or sell it in dribs and drabs via Craigslist. Folks pay good money for $$$ that they can find without dealing with wholesalers or mills.

 

[Ridgewalker]

My hometown paper published a bunch of pix from the Dericho. Pretty amazing what that little town went thru.

Democrat News - Photo Gallery - May 8th, 2009 Madison County Storm Photos

 

[Ridgewalker]

I thought I would update this thread with a few pix. I have a local logger attacking the mess but it's slow going. It was foggy when I took these pix but if you look close you can see tons of downed timber.

There is a small market for timber right now, my logger was walking around pointing at logs saying that log is worth $350...would have been $1,000 3 years ago, etc. Just my luck!

I am getting a 25% share on non grade and a 40% share on grade timber. I am just happy to be able to get around on the property again. Any cash in my pocket is a bonus. I am hoping to cash out enough to build a pole barn.

Anyone need firewood? Come and get it!

PS...I reattached the before and after pix of my campground for reference. Note the fire ring in both pix