Not a good day on the homestead

[Deberosa]

The worst storm I've ever seen hit our homestead today. It started early in the morning and has tested many of our emergency systems!

The wind was over 50 mph. My hoop house is a shambles so in the wind and rain we had to move the 50 3 month old buff pullets to the regular hen house - they are all huddled in the hen house now but at least they are dry! Also lost a chunk of the roof off of the barn today.

We also had a foot of rain over this time and it's still raining. The electricity went out for good around 10 am. The road to Olympia is closed with a huge mud slide.

Looks like it's time to just curl up by the fire and wait it out! Freezers and fridge are on generator, and everything is working that we really need.

[AlchemyAcres]

Wow!!!
Sorry to hear that...it really sucks!!!!
I've had lotsa similar experiences in the past...
2 years after I bought my place winds were over 70 mph in October...I've NEVER ever seen it that windy before and hope it never happens again!
I lost a buncha stuff!!!

Then in March of 2006 there was a freak wild fire that swept across my place and over on the neighbors when winds were 50 plus miles per hour...it was an inferno!!! A ten alarm fire!!!...Burned 30 plus acres!

Gosh, I sure know what it's like! :(

~Martin

[Deberosa]

The lights just came back on - yeah! Still pouring rain but the wind has calmed down a bit.

Boy Martin, fire is my other worry - I try to keep all large trees and brush away from my home in hopes of defending against wind and fire. It was a very good thing with this storm. The waterlogged ground softens the tree roots and then the wind knocks them over.

One thing I just got lucky in is that the cleared area of my property is on the side where the wind comes from so falling trees just create firewood instead of destroying structures.

The cows mostly stayed in their lean to, but during the worst of it they went out into the pasture facing away from the wind like they might have done this before!

[AlchemyAcres]

Boy Martin, fire is my other worry - I try to keep all large trees and brush away from my home in hopes of defending against wind and fire. It was a very good thing with this storm. The waterlogged ground softens the tree roots and then the wind knocks them over.

I'm tellin' ya...the fire scared the hell outa me...I'm still recovering from it!!!
I see folks stacking firewood and other stuff up against their place...or even HAY BALES this time of year to shield the wind, insulate and prepare for winter...makes me cringe, it's a HUGE MISTAKE......It's amazing what a fire can do when the wind is blowing like that.....stuff was catching that would never ever catch otherwise!!!

The cows mostly stayed in their lean to, but during the worst of it they went out into the pasture facing away from the wind like they might have done this before!

They're used to being outside!
They know how to deal with it!!!


~Martin ;)

[humbug]

Deb...sorry about the storm. It looks like that one is going to miss us but we are supposed to have one coming in on Friday. I hope we are ready for it. sounds like it is time to hunker inside down by the fire.

[oldnndway]

No storms here (yet)
Did get cold(er) again
I split enough wood today to fill the rack up
That's about 3 days worth burning steady
Built a nice fire tonight
I like my wood heater

[MadTripper]

We had gusts from 40 to 60 last night, temps in the 20's. Our power went out for 2 or so hours. I had the wood stove going in the basement so even with the wind the temps stayed near 68 in the living area. There were a boat load of 2 hour delays for schools and when I got to work, we closed down cause of snow coming in and the back roads are still icy.

Ironically, a year ago it was near 60 when we started building the house. That was the odd year though, this type of weather is typical around here.

Tripper

[bookwormom]

I heard it on the news that there was a storm heading your way and thought of you.
I hope the worst is over. Keep warm and dry.

[Deberosa]

The wind has slowed down but the rain is still pouring down! My place can take the rain fine without too much problem, I am just glad the wind stopped!

Got our power back last night already so we are doing fine.

[ryanmercer]

I've got the snow headed in here tonight... only 2-5 inches though so no big deal, plus I do live in the burbs... and I'll have to work even if we get 2 feet of snow... last winter we got a lot of snow and there was even snow emergencies in several counties, and anyone that didn't show up to work, despite the fact you could be arrested for driving in it, them not showing up was counted against them unexcused absence... FedEx just loves it's employees ::)

[leera]

Deberosa.......sorry to hear about the damage,I hope you came out of it all in one piece........we've had lots of wind here,gusts over 50mph too,but with icy cold temps and no rain........today has been pretty calm now though.

[Deberosa]

Well, got out to assess the damage today. Couldn't find any lost chickens so they are all safe or eaten...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/deberosa/001.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/deberosa/003.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/deberosa/002.jpg

[AlchemyAcres]

Well, Wow!!! :(

Looks like some of the hoop house can be salvaged (?)

What's missing from the barn? A couple sheets?
Looks like a fairly new roof!?

~Martin :-/

[Deberosa]

Yes, I had the old shake roof replaced three years ago on the barn. They did their best with the old structure - once they took the shakes off the entire roof wobbled back and forth as they worked on it! It's just poles - I actually went out in the woods and cut two poles to replace broken ones while they were working. One and part of one sheet went off - so I called them to come back and fix it up again. Unfortunately the 12 inches plus of water has poured in and soaked the tack room....

I can salvage some of the hoop house - it will just be shorter next year - maybe use some of the ribs for a smaller one somewhere else. Plus I am going to orient it the other way next time!

[humbug]

Deb..hope you are all recovering from the storm. Will all of the damaged be able to be fixed?? We get really high winds here on a regular basis. A couple of years ago it took most of the shingles off one side of my house. I had to have the house reroofed, but because it was entering winter I knew the shingles would never glue down right and I ended up tarping my roof until the weather warmed up the following spring...NOw that was a site.

[rideaway]

Where are you located? *We are on the southern Oregon coast (same town as Dave Duffy), and had sustained winds of 80-90 mph w/ one gust at the headland clocked at 114 mph. *Lights went out for a few hours a couple of times, but with candles and the camp stove, we survived, tho we do need a wood stove. I've lived here all my life, never seen it blow soooo hard or soooo long. *Lots of damage all over the place, roofs down, windows blown out, trees down. *Friends who we buy hay from lost their hay barn that was full of hay, so that is now soaked. *Their hay supply for the year is gone. *Our new lean-to held strong, though we had some big branches down on it. *Luckily we had fallen all of the big groves of myrtle that were around the new home pad, so the new home and garage were safe except for flying branches. *We were kind of silly and put up the Christmas lights on Sunday morning in the lower 40 mph gusts. *Where we live, if you wait for the wind and rain to stop in the fall and winter, nothing would ever get done. *But this storm definilty was an exception. * Everyone around here will spend the next few weekends cleaning up branches and debris, for sure!

[Deberosa]

I am on the Olympic Peninsula. The one issue here is the foot of rain that came with all that wind! There is major flooding in Washington. Fortunately we are OK with the water issues except there is now a foot of rain in the loft of my barn.

[DM]

Those are some bad storms! We had a bad one in 89, even FEMA came in and helped out... Half of all the old barns around here blew down! I lost many of the big tree's in my back woodlot, and the "opening" skylites were torn off my greenhouse... Our power was off for 6 days...

That was before my mom had passed away, and she was on Oxygen (are you smokers listening?) so i had to run the genset 24/7... At least my insurance paid me back for the fuel it burned!

Hopefully, you will get things back in order and the weather will straighten out soon!!

It's sunny and cold here today....

DM

[bookwormom]

I am glad to hear your hay did not get soaked. storms scare me. we had a tornado rip through here a few years back and take our tobacco barn with it. A couple of weeks ago we went hiking on some neighbors place and lo and behold, we found pieces of our barn roof. thanks for sharing the pictures. I am wondering if a cattle panel greenhouse would be more stable? Don't feel like having it tested though. This too shall pass, keep us posted.

[Mac_Muz]

Tack room... Leather dries just oil it with lexol... Probably cleaned off the dust...

I see the damage, but you'll be alright... Water goes away, plastics can be replaced... Other than the roof you loose time, so what.

I don't mean to be harsh sounding one bit, but I have been knocked down so many times I still don't know which way is up.

You always have a good attitude... You are the kind that picks up the pieces and moves on.. One of the lucky ones if you ask me.

[Mac_Muz]

Deb post missing?

[Txanne]

She went away.


Txanne

[ryanmercer]

*sighs* why did she go away... who ran her off *tear*