Storm Damage ?

[oldclaypaws]

After last nights storm, I'm wondering how everybody's woods have fared and the degree of collective damage we've suffered.

I'm perhaps one of the first to have been able to get round the wood this morning to take stock, I'd suspect several of you may not be able to do so until the weekend.

Overall, I'd say our wood in South Somerset got away pretty lightly, no worse than the issues the snow caused in the winter. None of my big oaks or feature trees are down, although we lost one fair sized bough off one oak. Where we've pioneer trees on an old bit of overgrown hard standing with shallow roots, it was a different story- they were pummeled. 3 Large Goat Willows and a 40 ft Birch down, but have to say it might have done me a favour, I think the jury was out of those anyway. - Looks like next winters fuel (and the one after) will be more goat willow.

A close friend in Weymouth has had his 3 storey house severely damaged, he's lost his chimney stack and half of his roof, but they are a bit more exposed and it seems to have been worse in the centre of the South coast. Hope none of you suffered too badly........??

[Dexter's Shed]

have not checked the wood yet, but here in essex, a dustbin blew over

[Rich]

Very little damage down here in East Sussex, I had a message from the FC trying to guage the impact of the storm and plan for similar future events, so it would be good to get a good thread going here from round the country. Not so sure dustbin lids will be particularly noteworthy!

[Jackdaw]

Just a couple of Aspen knocked over and a few twigs here and there, not bad for 15 acres in South East Kent.

[SimonFisher]

Been down to our woods near Petersfield in Hampshire today. A few extra twigs and leaves on the ground seems about it.

[The Barrowers]

Thanks Rich
For the East Sussex reply. A bit of reassurance. That will save me rushing down before weekend.
I was questioned on why I would rush down i.e. what could I do, True but maybe its because I feel responsible, Weird Human emotion about a few trees???

B and T

[ncrawshaw]

Well, I'm in East Sussex and lost over 50 trees, mostly larch! Although they didn't actually knock each other down, domino style,, they were in a line through the woods as if a particularly strong gust had followed a narrow path. These 50 trees were in a stand of approx 6 acres. Its going to take me a bit of time to sort that lot out but I think I may have to leave it till next year as I'm just about to start coppicing the chestnut which occupies the other half of my woodland.

[Rankinswood]

Here in South Oxfordshire I had one very tall goat willow growing at roadside snap in half and so I quickly dismantled the remains and threw this back into the woodland out of sight of the firewood fairies who, at this time of year tend to emerge like toadstools following these now seasonal autumnal storms.

Our Euopean Larch and Douglas Fir trees (60-90 feet) performed well with no obvious casualties. This was not the case in the 87 storm when a number of larch trees came down at the narrowest part of out woodland which can act a bit like a wind funnel resulting in the domino effect described above.

Please keep in mind that a woodland owner has a responsibility to endeavour to keep their woodlands safe -even to help protect tresspassers from injuring themselves when they do stupid things.

Rankinswood.

[Rod Taylor]

Our wood in East Sussex came off quite lightly. Lots of general twigs and small stuff all over and 3 well dead standing trees snapped off. These had all been left standing for the woodpeckers as in reasonable positions and would clearly get hung up, so will now have to be dealt with. The only surprise damage was one stem of a Chestnut coppice stool down. This was in the centre of a clearing cut 7 years ago that is now a 'contained' bramble thicket, so haven't fought my way in to check but assume was not well connected to the stool. Good crop of nuts on it though which will get left for the Dormice to fatten up on.

R&H

[Dexter's Shed]

have not fully checked ours till this weekend, but cleared a fallen tree from the main access path to a neighbors plot, the main visable damage to ours that we saw were our large marquee took a fair bit of damage, hopefully will be fully repaired by saturday for our samhain celebrations