Red Warning - Storm Darragh

[ian33a]

During the last snow storm we lost a load of trees in the region and some of these took out power lines (we were off grid for approx 11 hours). This time around the winds started at about 3am and are just as bad now as they were in the middle of the night. I suspect that many of the weaker trees were lost last time around and we haven't suffered from power cuts this time, as yet. Considering that we are slightly south of the red areas and are about 30 miles from the north Devon coast, the winds are still pretty wild even now.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Only forecast now 70mph, dropping a little from this morning. It seems worse though as I think it's shifted slightly further northerly. My neighbour was on his roof earlier looking very brown trousered trying to stick some ridge tiles back.

 

[SammyQ]

Only forecast now 70mph, dropping.... My neighbour was on his roof earlier looking very brown trousered trying to stick some ridge tiles back.

Jeez, he is either desperate, or has cahoonas of titanium....

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Getting hammered here, Christmas lights down, garden. “Re arranged” power flickers

 

[MikeB1972]

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I remember in the late '70s putting the cat out and watching her get blown across the lawn. I was on the way to work, I jumped on my KH250, headed up the hill and ducked a full dustbin blowing overhead. Probably about the same time my uncle recorded a gust of 157mph in the North Sea. He stripped the skin off his palms hanging on to the ship.

 

[Stigmorgan]

It's a bit after midnight now and the winds are still pretty strong here, gonna take me all day Monday to clear the the school up let alone my garden.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

What do you do at school Stig
I was caretaker for 20 years in infants and junior schools

 

[Chubber]

Despite the warnings to avoid coastal areas the local news featured families on North Devon sea fronts WITH THEIR OFFSPRING!

 

[SammyQ]

Despite the warnings to avoid coastal areas the local news featured families on North Devon sea fronts WITH THEIR OFFSPRING!

Darwin award, opening heats.

 

[artie]

Darwin award, opening heats.

I braved the storm yesterday to put a screw in workshop roof, it had lifted at the corner pulling out the first screw.

I was able to do it from a small stepladder a couple of ft of the ground.

Had it been the ridge, I'd have passed.

 

[Stanleymonkey]

They recorded 100mph gusts in one or two locations

Sadly, two people have lost their lives dues to falling trees.

 

[niall Y]

As a brief post-script to this thread, we have, mercifully, survived the storm fairly unscathed - some greenhouse glass and the top of a tree broken off; a rather fine coating of salt on all the windows- obscuring the view out; and all the veg growing in the garden flattened and blackened.

However the power was off for over two days, so we have been living life as our grandparents did - sans electricity. But apart from reminding me what their reality was, it has not been a particularly enjoyable experience.

 

[Stigmorgan]

What do you do at school Stig
I was caretaker for 20 years in infants and junior schools

The job title is site manager, basically the same as a caretaker but with more paperwork and no cleaning, I also have the luxury/misfortune to live on site.

Did my daily safety walk yesterday and found an Ash had blown over onto a nearby declining Silver Birch, no time to deal with it on a Monday and as its at the back of the field where nobody goes at this time of year so put up some barrier tape an emailed the staff. Went out this morning with my hand saw, removed all the branches i could reach first so I had a clear escape route then started cutting a wedge out of the top about a 3rd of way up from the (pitiful) rootball, once around 1/4 through the circumference i started a new cut underneath constantly listening for the fibres to start cracking, once it started to go i stepped back and let it drop, this left the bottom 3rd laying flat and the remaining stood more upright, I then repeated the same cut half way up what was left, when it started to go I stood back and the bottom half fell flat bringing the very top of the tree over toward the rootball, all in it came down perfectly, now it's safe I'll process it whenever I get time, the lower 3rd looks like it will have some amazing grain. Will have to get someone out to go up and check the Birch but I suspect it will now need to come down sooner than we had planned.

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Site manager yep that’s what they called me.. all the parents asked
“What’s that then” so I reverted to old title. I had to clean but I also did most of the sm repair work there and rode shot gun ( Clark of the works) on any outside contractors. Even kicked a few off site
My walk early around the school field in summer was to remove the items of clothing that had been left on the grass the night before
I sometimes wondered what the girl wore home......

 

[Stigmorgan]

Site manager yep that’s what they called me.. all the parents asked
“What’s that then” so I reverted to old title. I had to clean but I also did most of the sm repair work there and rode shot gun ( Clark of the works) on any outside contractors. Even kicked a few off site
My walk early around the school field in summer was to remove the items of clothing that had been left on the grass the night before
I sometimes wondered what the girl wore home......

I've given up picking up clothes and tupperware, if the kids wanna leave it out for the foxes to play with then that's up to them, I've enough to do without that

 

[Katomi woodsmith]

Lol stig
The clothing that I was picking up was the sort that came from the more exotic section of ladies underwear
When wee Jimmy walks into the office and holds up a Lacy skimpy c cup and says
“ please miss look what I found.”
Those trees down, it will give you plenty of stock for woodturning

 

[Stigmorgan]

Lol stig
The clothing that I was picking up was the sort that came from the more exotic section of ladies underwear
When wee Jimmy walks into the office and holds up a Lacy skimpy c cup and says
“ please miss look what I found.”
Those trees down, it will give you plenty of stock for woodturning

Ahh, not had that one yet

I have more stock than I'll ever get through already just can't say no to it though, the lower 3rd of that trunk is going to be stunning though, so many branch grow overs there's going to be feathering all over it.