October Snowstorm in NY/NE

[ExiledInIllinois]

Wasn't it not too long ago that the same type of storm hit WNY at about the same time?

 

In BFLO it was about 2 weeks earlier... That may not seem like a lot, but it is. Late OCT and early NOV is not too strange... A bunch of leaves have already fallen... But the first week of OCT is brutal. I remember a few Halooweens as a child with snow on the ground.

Edited November 3, 2011 by ExiledInIllinois

[UConn James]

In BFLO it was about 2 weeks earlier... That may not seem like a lot, but it is. Late OCT and early NOV is not too strange... A bunch of leaves have already fallen... But the first week of OCT is brutal. I remember a few Halooweens as a child with snow on the ground.

 

It's the oaks --- which I've seen sometimes hang onto their leaves into March! --- that got the worst of it here WRT weight stress. As an aside, there've been NO acorns in our yard this year under five oaks (that mostly held up, thankfully). I hope that's just a seed production cycle/anomaly (we've had unusually high yield years recently) doesn't portend anything about it being a particularly rough winter. Some people are quick to dismiss that trees are able to forecast these things, but these are living organisms that we still learning about and which have such intricate workings. Anyway, the squirrels here do not look very happy.

 

Lots of pine branches too b/c it's weaker wood and generally doesn't grow as large.

[plenzmd1]

It's the oaks --- which I've seen sometimes hang onto their leaves into March! --- that got the worst of it here WRT weight stress. As an aside, there've been NO acorns in our yard this year under five oaks (that mostly held up, thankfully). I hope that's just a seed production cycle/anomaly (we've had unusually high yield years recently) doesn't portend anything about it being a particularly rough winter. Some people are quick to dismiss that trees are able to forecast these things, but these are living organisms that we still learning about and which have such intricate workings. Anyway, the squirrels here do not look very happy.

 

Lots of pine branches too b/c it's weaker wood and generally doesn't grow as large.

 

Hmm, good point on the oaks..last few years have been huge amount of acorns, and this year nada..and thats here in Richmond VA. I had heard the opposite though, that large amounts of acorns meant rough winter..so we prolly have no idea LOL.

 

Quick edit..this from the farmers almanac..lot of acorns bad winetr coming according to the experts

 

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/blog/2010/08/10/11315/

 

 

 

 

Had not noticed yet as the oak that was above my driveway and went through my roof is now all split up and curing in my backyard thanks to Irene

Edited November 3, 2011 by plenzmd1

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

It's the oaks ---

The oaks can't help their feelings; if they like they way they're made.

And they wonder why the maples can't be happy in their shade.

[UConn James]

Hmm, good point on the oaks..last few years have been huge amount of acorns, and this year nada..and thats here in Richmond VA. I had heard the opposite though, that large amounts of acorns meant rough winter..so we prolly have no idea LOL

 

 

Had not noticed yet as the oak that was above my driveway and went through my roof is now all split up and curing in my backyard thanks to Irene

 

Ouch! Our roof is 2x6s 12" on center.

 

The contractor at the time (my uncle, in the '70s, who was also a stickler building inspector) said you could drive a truck across it. That was really nice to have last winter when there was like 4' of snow up there at one point.

 

I doubt it'd survive one of our oaks falling on it, tho. And they're LARGE oaks. Were supposed to have a takedown guy we know get the most suspect one that has a V-notch and a cavity back in the spring, but it didn't materialize. Going to have to get on that as the weather gets more and more whacky.

[ExiledInIllinois]

It's the oaks --- which I've seen sometimes hang onto their leaves into March! --- that got the worst of it here WRT weight stress. As an aside, there've been NO acorns in our yard this year under five oaks (that mostly held up, thankfully). I hope that's just a seed production cycle/anomaly (we've had unusually high yield years recently) doesn't portend anything about it being a particularly rough winter. Some people are quick to dismiss that trees are able to forecast these things, but these are living organisms that we still learning about and which have such intricate workings. Anyway, the squirrels here do not look very happy.

 

Lots of pine branches too b/c it's weaker wood and generally doesn't grow as large.

 

You are right... It is the oaks! PINTA... There is a ton of burr oak in this area, not too many right by my home... But somehow the leaves will blow around all winter...

 

Same with black walnuts... I don't know where the heck a tree is! ...But the squirrels must be transporting them! They love the mulch around the kids swingset! It looks like a mine field.

 

The oaks can't help their feelings; if they like they way they're made.

And they wonder why the maples can't be happy in their shade.

 

You know how the woodsman ends it! Can we send him to the NBA labor talks.

 

 

I like to see him try and stump a box elder... The thing will be back even thicker all over the place in a couple of years.

 

Ouch! Our roof is 2x6s 12" on center.

 

The contractor at the time (my uncle, in the '70s, who was also a stickler building inspector) said you could drive a truck across it. That was really nice to have last winter when there was like 4' of snow up there at one point.

 

I doubt it'd survive one of our oaks falling on it, tho. And they're LARGE oaks. Were supposed to have a takedown guy we know get the most suspect one that has a V-notch and a cavity back in the spring, but it didn't materialize. Going to have to get on that as the weather gets more and more whacky.

 

I read where an 84 year old guy died while in his recliner... To live 84 years and get wiped out while taking a nap... Ouch!

Edited November 3, 2011 by ExiledInIllinois

[bowery4]

I live in Bangkok, My house is flooded, we had to go. This is not a pretty or good thing, ****ty water coming up the sewer to go with Klong (canal, more of ****ty) water coming in the front door. I got my scooter on top of a table and wrapped up pretty well. Everything else is on the second floor so about 3 meters or slightly more off the ground (haven't heard of anywhere it is as high as that, so should be ok). Water in the house was about 10-15cm, outside in the street was 40-60cm, almost waist high. as far as I can tell this is disaster #4 or #5 I have been in. Blizzard of 77 (Bflo), Blizzard of 93 (NYC), 9/11/01 (NYC, Chinatown), Blizzard of 02 (Bflo, got out really early though), now - Bangkok flood of 2011. That is enough, IMO. I found a seaside place to go, will hold out here for a while (it isn't all bad) . But no idea when it will be okay to go back, TV is showing water still rising there. . It was hard to get out but in the face of it you could see it was getting worse. Today, I think there is more than a meter (at least that is what is being reported). Places we drove through getting to the skytrain no longer passable. Seems that water is an unstoppable force in those quantities. Just chilling in a cheap/ air conditioned room in Hua Hin.

[JÂy RÛßeÒ]

I live in Bangkok, My house is flooded, we had to go. This is not a pretty or good thing, ****ty water coming up the sewer to go with Klong (canal, more of ****ty) water coming in the front door. I got my scooter on top of a table and wrapped up pretty well. Everything else is on the second floor so about 3 meters or slightly more off the ground (haven't heard of anywhere it is as high as that, so should be ok). Water in the house was about 10-15cm, outside in the street was 40-60cm, almost waist high. as far as I can tell this is disaster #4 or #5 I have been in. Blizzard of 77 (Bflo), Blizzard of 93 (NYC), 9/11/01 (NYC, Chinatown), Blizzard of 02 (Bflo, got out really early though), now - Bangkok flood of 2011. That is enough, IMO. I found a seaside place to go, will hold out here for a while (it isn't all bad) . But no idea when it will be okay to go back, TV is showing water still rising there. . It was hard to get out but in the face of it you could see it was getting worse. Today, I think there is more than a meter (at least that is what is being reported). Places we drove through getting to the skytrain no longer passable. Seems that water is an unstoppable force in those quantities. Just chilling in a cheap/ air conditioned room in Hua Hin.

Good Luck to ya

[plenzmd1]

Ouch! Our roof is 2x6s 12" on center.

 

The contractor at the time (my uncle, in the '70s, who was also a stickler building inspector) said you could drive a truck across it. That was really nice to have last winter when there was like 4' of snow up there at one point.

 

I doubt it'd survive one of our oaks falling on it, tho. And they're LARGE oaks. Were supposed to have a takedown guy we know get the most suspect one that has a V-notch and a cavity back in the spring, but it didn't materialize. Going to have to get on that as the weather gets more and more whacky.

I would say the one that came through was roof was at least 75 ft tall...thing was a biatch to get down, even with a massive crane.

 

Whats funny is have another large one in the back(several actually) that was dead up top and I was worried about that one..but with no leaves on it the wind of irene barely had it swaying

 

I live in Bangkok, My house is flooded, we had to go. This is not a pretty or good thing, ****ty water coming up the sewer to go with Klong (canal, more of ****ty) water coming in the front door. I got my scooter on top of a table and wrapped up pretty well. Everything else is on the second floor so about 3 meters or slightly more off the ground (haven't heard of anywhere it is as high as that, so should be ok). Water in the house was about 10-15cm, outside in the street was 40-60cm, almost waist high. as far as I can tell this is disaster #4 or #5 I have been in. Blizzard of 77 (Bflo), Blizzard of 93 (NYC), 9/11/01 (NYC, Chinatown), Blizzard of 02 (Bflo, got out really early though), now - Bangkok flood of 2011. That is enough, IMO. I found a seaside place to go, will hold out here for a while (it isn't all bad) . But no idea when it will be okay to go back, TV is showing water still rising there. . It was hard to get out but in the face of it you could see it was getting worse. Today, I think there is more than a meter (at least that is what is being reported). Places we drove through getting to the skytrain no longer passable. Seems that water is an unstoppable force in those quantities. Just chilling in a cheap/ air conditioned room in Hua Hin.

 

Good luck bro..

 

BTW, just taught my son the oldest joke in the world

 

 

Whats the capital of Thailnad?

[BuffaloBud]

I live in Bangkok, My house is flooded, we had to go. This is not a pretty or good thing, ****ty water coming up the sewer to go with Klong (canal, more of ****ty) water coming in the front door. I got my scooter on top of a table and wrapped up pretty well. Everything else is on the second floor so about 3 meters or slightly more off the ground (haven't heard of anywhere it is as high as that, so should be ok). Water in the house was about 10-15cm, outside in the street was 40-60cm, almost waist high. as far as I can tell this is disaster #4 or #5 I have been in. Blizzard of 77 (Bflo), Blizzard of 93 (NYC), 9/11/01 (NYC, Chinatown), Blizzard of 02 (Bflo, got out really early though), now - Bangkok flood of 2011. That is enough, IMO. I found a seaside place to go, will hold out here for a while (it isn't all bad) . But no idea when it will be okay to go back, TV is showing water still rising there. . It was hard to get out but in the face of it you could see it was getting worse. Today, I think there is more than a meter (at least that is what is being reported). Places we drove through getting to the skytrain no longer passable. Seems that water is an unstoppable force in those quantities. Just chilling in a cheap/ air conditioned room in Hua Hin.

 

Stay dry Bowery. The company that we used to make our printed circuit board assemblies has water (3-4m) in the first floor. Material moved to second. Had people come in boats to move material and some fixtures out of the plant to move to another location so that we don't impact production here in OH.

[KD in CA]

CT issued a severe air quality warning for today because so many people have fires burning. D'oh.

 

 

[UConn James]

CT issued a severe air quality warning for today because so many people have fires burning. D'oh.

 

And generator fumes. Have been seeing lingering wisps in our area.

 

Apparently it's the high pressure system that's generally keeping the air pushed down, rather than venting into the atmosphere.

 

Still out here. A town crew (actually, they're a loaner crew from a town midway to the coast) came through today --- the first time they've raised flag, five days after the storm ) chipping up the branches that fell in the road and that people here moved out of the flow of traffic (myself included with a ~30-foot oak branch that fell in the neighbor's yard and jutted into the road). They say that 60% of my town has had power restored, but my guesstimate is it'll probably be late Saturday or early Sunday before we get it back. We are literally at the very end of the line. Supposed to be in the 20s again tomorrow night and the next.

[Chef Jim]

CT issued a severe air quality warning for today because so many people have fires burning. D'oh.

 

 

 

In SF that's known as a Spare the Air Day. They encourage mass transit use and no outdoor BBQs. Well Labor Day weekend were all Spare the Air Days. Great no BBQing over labor day weekend. Yeah right. I fired up the smoker for six hours that day.

[Pete]

CT issued a severe air quality warning for today because so many people have fires burning. D'oh.

I am having a two day bonfire party this weekend. And I doubt that even puts a dent in the 3 ginormous piles of branches, tree limbs, weeds, and fallen debris

 

I live in Bangkok, My house is flooded, we had to go. This is not a pretty or good thing, ****ty water coming up the sewer to go with Klong (canal, more of ****ty) water coming in the front door. I got my scooter on top of a table and wrapped up pretty well. Everything else is on the second floor so about 3 meters or slightly more off the ground (haven't heard of anywhere it is as high as that, so should be ok). Water in the house was about 10-15cm, outside in the street was 40-60cm, almost waist high. as far as I can tell this is disaster #4 or #5 I have been in. Blizzard of 77 (Bflo), Blizzard of 93 (NYC), 9/11/01 (NYC, Chinatown), Blizzard of 02 (Bflo, got out really early though), now - Bangkok flood of 2011. That is enough, IMO. I found a seaside place to go, will hold out here for a while (it isn't all bad) . But no idea when it will be okay to go back, TV is showing water still rising there. . It was hard to get out but in the face of it you could see it was getting worse. Today, I think there is more than a meter (at least that is what is being reported). Places we drove through getting to the skytrain no longer passable. Seems that water is an unstoppable force in those quantities. Just chilling in a cheap/ air conditioned room in Hua Hin.

good luck. You sure have seen some great storms. You will get through this. And it is all an experience

[Jim in Anchorage]

The oaks can't help their feelings; if they like they way they're made.

And they wonder why the maples can't be happy in their shade.

There is unrest in the forest,

There is trouble with the trees,

For the maples want more sunlight

And the oaks ignore their pleas.

 

The trouble with the maples,

(And they're quite convinced the're right)

They say the oaks are just too lofty

And they grab up all the light.

But the oaks can't help their feelings

If they like the way they're made.

And they wonder why the maples

Can't be happy in their shade.

 

There is trouble in the Forest,

And the Creatures all have fled,

As the Maples scream oppression,

And the Oaks just shake their heads.

 

So the maples formed a union

And demanded equal rights.

"These oaks are just too greedy;

We will make them give us light."

Now there's no more oak oppression,

For they passed a noble law,

And the trees are all kept equal

By hatchet, axe, and saw.

Edited November 4, 2011 by Jim in Anchorage

[bowery4]

Becareful of generator fumes! Thanks for the good thoughts guys, I hope the same for you. I was at least able to escape to a nice place for a while, although the money is really limited now. Take care out there in the cold.

[BuffaloBill]

I live in Bangkok, My house is flooded, we had to go. This is not a pretty or good thing, ****ty water coming up the sewer to go with Klong (canal, more of ****ty) water coming in the front door. I got my scooter on top of a table and wrapped up pretty well. Everything else is on the second floor so about 3 meters or slightly more off the ground (haven't heard of anywhere it is as high as that, so should be ok). Water in the house was about 10-15cm, outside in the street was 40-60cm, almost waist high. as far as I can tell this is disaster #4 or #5 I have been in. Blizzard of 77 (Bflo), Blizzard of 93 (NYC), 9/11/01 (NYC, Chinatown), Blizzard of 02 (Bflo, got out really early though), now - Bangkok flood of 2011. That is enough, IMO. I found a seaside place to go, will hold out here for a while (it isn't all bad) . But no idea when it will be okay to go back, TV is showing water still rising there. . It was hard to get out but in the face of it you could see it was getting worse. Today, I think there is more than a meter (at least that is what is being reported). Places we drove through getting to the skytrain no longer passable. Seems that water is an unstoppable force in those quantities. Just chilling in a cheap/ air conditioned room in Hua Hin.

 

 

Good Luck

[\GoBillsInDallas/]

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-arborists-connecticut-20111104,0,6039783.story

[ExiledInIllinois]

http://www.courant.c...0,6039783.story

 

Unreal... CT, insurance capital of the world (well at least the US)... And you wonder why the trees come crashing down on houses... That the tree limbs were even near the houses in the first place and not lopped away early in the tree's life. Seems like a law that would promote procrastination of routine EASY maintainence that becomes a much bigger job as the seasons come and go. And too boot, the law is from 1919. Again, blame the insurance industry... Isn't that a shock!

[UConn James]

Unreal... CT, insurance capital of the world (well at least the US)... And you wonder why the trees come crashing down on houses... That the tree limbs were even near the houses in the first place and not lopped away early in the tree's life. Seems like a law that would promote procrastination of routine EASY maintainence that becomes a much bigger job as the seasons come and go. And too boot, the law is from 1919. Again, blame the insurance industry... Isn't that a shock!

 

Per the Courant today, the current administration says they will not be enforcing that law/fines during the clean-up of Alfred. So companies that have the same equipment as "licensed arborists" will be allowed to prune back broken branches and those that pose a risk to power lines.

 

In reality, all that law did was create another class of micro-specialization where the performers have come to charge a premium because of their relative scarcity. Contractors need a state license to cut a branch, if they're not cutting the whole tree down.

 

I think we're going to look into renting one of those scissor-jack lifts to get some of the dead branches and one that have gotten too close to the house (and my teevee antennas!!) b/c while a contractor needs a license, a homeowner can do what s/he wants.

 

I couldn't say it any better than that the laws promote procrastination/inaction on things that need to get done to help ensure power lines stay up. But the thing is, I really can't find any way to argue against this article linked below from a geologist who's saying that with a scientifically-proven stronger storms AND more rapid tree growth with increased levels of CO2 / longer growing seasons, burying power lines is going to be necessary to prevent these kind of outages from being more and more frequent. In the past two months, two weeks of this state's economic productivity has been lost. Even out of 52 weeks, that's significant. Two out 8 --- it's unacceptable to not begin addressing the problem.

 

Robert Thorson: Had Enough? Bury The Power Lines

Let it mark the Turning point, the Tipping point or the Threshold point, the storm that broke the proverbial camel's back. Let it be the storm that finally forced us — after a century of dangerous trouble — to put our utility lines underground. Yes, there are drawbacks to doing so, especially the cost and concerns for background radiation. But if we succeed, it will be a dream come true, a world where the lights stay on when the wind blows, slushy snow accumulates, freezing rain crystallizes and when an tree simply dies a natural death. Cutting trees back is a good start, but it's only a half-measure at best.