When a Tree Falls: The Big Oak

One weekend in mid-April we had non-stop rain that saturated the ground, followed by a Monday of gusty winds. I didn’t think much of the winds (only 30-40 mph) until I got to work and a colleague came in pretty shaken up after a flaming power line, snapped by the wind, fell right in front of her car as she drove to the office. That was followed by a morning filled with more news and email alerts about numerous fallen trees, closed roads and power outages across the area.

On the way home our neighborhood seemed to fare well, until we approached the intersection of our street and caught view of the largest oak tree in the subdivision. Surprisingly, the combination of rain and the wind got the best of The Big Oak and it was laying on its side, root-ball and all exposed to the world. The tree had grazed the house on the corner, not causing any damage to the structure or its inhabitants, and laid to rest completely across the driveway.

After the “wow” factor wore off, I was really saddened about the demise of the grand oak tree. Pine trees are abundant in the neighborhood, but aside from a few wooded common areas, there aren’t a lot of legacy hardwood trees in the immediate area that was mostly cleared of large hardwood trees to make way for new roads and houses. The Big Oak had survived years of rain, sun, hail, wind, snow and ice AND even the wrath of the subdivision developer’s chain saws, but it couldn’t handle this particular dose of Mother Nature. The Big Oak was a rarity in a neighborhood and I valued the character it added to the corner lot.

Now it is nearly the end of May and the remains of The Big Oak have been cleared away for several weeks. A new layer of top soil and hay has been spread in its place, but there has been no more landscaping activity. I hope the people who live on the corner enjoyed the presence of the Big Oak in their yard as much as I did and plant another one that same spot. Maybe they are just waiting for the fall planting season.

Luckily, our lone oak tree made it through the storm and is providing shade & texture to our backyard. (For the scoop on why trees are good check out the website for the International Society of Arboriculture.)