Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations I am back

Greetings from a disaster zone. Just got my E-mail and internet back. The first place I go is here. We were lucky, this time, as far as the storm goes. Lost a few shingles off the house and out buildings. (Won't have to rake leaves this fall). Lost a big, old oak in the pasture. Why didn't more of the sweet gums fall? We were out of water for about 5 days. (A small pond by the house helps with toilet flushing). The water is still not drinkable. Power was out for 2 weeks. We were real thankful for the cooler weather we finally got, after the record heat. It was about 4 days before ice and water started coming in. (I was stocked up on beer and couldn't cool it). Our "neighborhood" pulled together to see to it everyone got what they needed. Neighbors were feeding neighbors, those with wells were supplying water to those that needed it, "gangs" were running the roads with chain saws helping clean up. A country boy can survive!! We were even washing clothes and running errands for the Guard. I would like to thank the Batson fire department, the DPS, the military, our local JP, and my neighbors. The ones I haven't metioned can go to Hell.

Jim,

Welcome back...and I know what you mean about people pulling together in the country in a crisis. It's a great thing.

I lost hundreds of trees, but did not see one single sweet gum tree down. Oaks went over with the entire root system exposed. Pines snapped at my place, even large ones snapped like tooth picks. We had azalea bushes next to the house blown right out of the ground.

One lesson learned...never plant an oak tree next to your house for shade...they will come down in a storm before all other trees.

Glad you are back safe and sound.

Jim,

Glad you're back. I can't imagine what you folks down there have gone through.

Just curious, but who are the ones you didn't mention that can go to hell? FEMA, Federal Government?

Cecil, I am sorry for that last comment, just a little frustrated. I wonder how many of us could, without planning, afford to leave work for a week and go on a "vacation", driving (burning fuel) for hours, then come home and throw away all the food in the refridgerator, spend more money on fuel (for the generator) and then replace your roof. There is help out there, I have seen it. But not for me. I don't know why. Middle class Americans are not in the governments plans.

Oh you are so wrong, Jim. We are in the governments plans. Who do you think pays for it all?

You sure got that right Jersey.

Is there any chance that timber contractors or lumber mills will buy your fallen trees?

It might be a fraction of the previous market price, but it would be better than watching them rot.

Just wondering.

I lost about a dozen large healthy oaks on my place. Mostly water oaks blown over by the root ball or snapped in half. Some beautiful red oaks blown over and some pines snapped in two. Fortunately, we don't live there (yet).

Cleveland (TEXAS) lost power for over a week in most places.

After the storm, I'm putting serious thought into an industrial strength power generator for a future house.

ETW :

Can't answer for downed trees in Texas but here is some info from the storm zone in Miss.

Within 100 miles of Miss. coast (just in Miss. not La, & Ala.} estimated downed trees --over 1 billion board feet of lumber including 150 miles estimated 1.25 billion board feet. Roughly 90 days to salvage before no value. Prices dropped from $420 per thousand to $20 per if you can find someone to take it off your hands. Entire forests for a hundred miles inland the width of Miss. wiped out as if a giant hand had smashed them down. Estimated that there are 50 tons per acre of downed timber averaged over the area.

On the other point on this thread. In the central Miss. area Feds. turned over for prosecution 5200 cases of criminal fraud by people getting money from FEMA many arrested already. Most getting thousands of $ when they had no or little loss. The ripping off of the tax payer and those who donated to Red Cross by the something for nothing crowd is beyond belief. They have tied up the workers(resources) from Fema and Red Cross for weeks processing suposed claims for $200 dollars worth of frozen food lost while there are people on the coast living in tents without power and water. ewest