Utter destruction......

[Mikey the Flower Guy]

a little exerpet from my friends over at Little Gull Lake Marina, about 10 miles from where our cottage is.....

Aug. 3/06
STORM!!!!!!!!!!!! We were hit really hard by a major storm possible tornadoe at approximately 8pm last night. This update is coming at 4:15a.m. I have just come in from trying to clear roads. This storm makes 95 look like a walk in the park. If you are trying to come North please wait, as hard as that may seem. 507 is closed as well as the Beaver Lake Rd. We have numerous power lines down and the Beaver Lake is impassable about 1km before the first bridge. It is going to water access only for awhile. The news channels should have some updates soon. Our phone lines are one of the few in operation and most of our employees will not be allowed to pass down or up the roads so please bear with us while we try to answer phones and deal with what has happened!!!!!!! If you are concerned about family or friends at the cottage we will try and do our best to let you know what is happening. Hydro will probably be out for awhile and most of the phone lines are down around the lake. Please only call if it an emergency as it is going to be very busy dealing with the cleanup for a while to come. I will let you know what is going on asap but it is shaping up to be a really LONG WEEKEND so again please bear with us while we try to help everyone out as much as possible. Hope everyone is safe and if you are talking via cell to friends or family at the cottage emergency access is available through the marina and we have an open road to the highway and services for these emergencies. Thanks and hope to be back on a better note soon!!

There were actually 2 tornados touch down in the area...one was an F1, and one was rated an F2.
I took a drive up there yesterday, and my digital camera failed me again...time for a new one.
A conservative estimate of OLD FOREST destruction in the area just west of Buckhorn, stands at over 80,000 felled trees, many just pulled up and toppled with the roots and soil still clinging to them.
The estimates of damage to buildings, cottages, boat houses, outbuildings, and infrastructure currently sits at just over a 100 million dollars based on insurance chaos "estimates" at this current time.
I have seen first hand tornados, and their aftermath, and many times, if not most, they touch down in open areas, and move wherever.
These touched down RIGHT INTO heavily forested areas, and cleared a
path right through a heavily populated area of cottagers and permanent residents...the paths were very visible, the destruction complete.
I was in awe of Mother Nature once more.....

Mikey

 

[fairfield]

We can't even imagine what that is like. Even though we have tornadoes here in Oregon (1 or 2 a year) they are in the sparsly populated eastern half of the state and rarely witnessed.

Just curious, what will happen with all of the downed trees? Will they be used for lumber? Will people protest if they are?

 

[Connie]

My heart and prayers go out for those folks!

 

[BOSS]

I was in awe of Mother Nature once more.....

Mikey

Sorry to hear of the wreckage Mikey....

Being one that is always in awe of the Lady of the Cosmos...Mother Nature intrigues me so much that I tend to hug trees in lightening storms, stand out in driving rain and often hang out outside in blizzards. It just enthrawls me (for some odd [sick?] reason).

I never like the destruction involved with major events in the weather, and would never wish it on anyone, but the amazing shear force that can be generated by simple changes in the atmosphere are to me, like crack to an addict.

 

[Luc]

Mikey,
How is your cottage? You just finish it recently and I hope things are alright.
Maybe with all of these trees down, a new road can be built.
Luc

 

[Sher]

Mikey, I hope your cottage came away unscathed...having seen the forces of Mother Nature over and over last year, we all can feel your pain. Hopefully there was no loss of life. One only has to witness her fury once to realize that it is a power beyond comprehension. We are continuing to keep our fingers crossed down here and praying that the hundreds of homes will get rid of the blue tarps and have new roofs done before our weather changes again.Driving done the highways, one can still se neighborhood after neighborhood of blue.
I hope your neighbors will recover quickly and that your cost of repairs is minimal. I enjoyed seeing those recent pics of yur cottage...what a piece of paradise.....
Sher