After the Storm

           The best part of this five-day storm was that the predicted high winds were only 25 mph, not 45-50 mph last night and today, Saturday. The ice did more than enough damage. We didn’t need a windstorm to totally finish us off.

           The roads are still slushy and several of our usual routes remain closed because of downed trees and power lines. 140,000 households are still without power, but the sun came out for a little while today. So did people. They came out of their homes to survey the damage, clean up, and do the things they couldn’t while the weather held us hostage. We were almost like the Who’s in Dr. Suess’s Whoville, except we didn’t join hands and sing like they did in “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,” at least not anywhere that I'm aware of. 

           I took more pictures of the damage as we ran errands. Driving through Tacoma, to us it didn’t seem to have as much damage as Puyallup, but we were in the urban part, so there weren’t as many trees to begin with, and the trees bore the brunt of the storm. 

          Although in Tacoma, a warehouse with a flat roof collapsed. The workers inside were smart. When they heard the building groan, they got out. Nobody was hurt. The News Tribune reported that both of the Tacoma Narrows Bridges were closed for six hours because sheets of ice were falling from the girders and suspension cables.

Tacoma Narrows Bridges. Photo from The News Tribune.

          Back in Puyallup, at the WSU Research and Extension Center, one of the biggest trees was split apart even though it is an evergreen. 

WSU Research and Extension Center, Puyallup, WA. 3-story building in backgroud.

            Overall, the hardwood trees did not do as well as the evergreens. A row of cherry (or apple?) trees that lined one of the streets on my way to Zumba was shattered. Spring is going to look very different around here.

43rd Ave. SE, South Hill, WA (road in front of the YMCA)

           John and I tackled the branches strewn all over our yard. He cranked up the chain saw. 

          I sorted through the debris. Pulling branches out of the pile was like playing an oversized, twisted game of pickup sticks. 

          I dragged limbs to the curb if they were less than six feet long, or to John to cut if they were longer. 

Limbs to be cut up.

"5, 6, pick up sticks"

          I don’t know if the garbage collectors or the city will pick them up, but other people had yard waste stacked up at the curb. It’s worth a try.

           For three hours John cut debris up and I hauled it. Our yard waste bin is full. Our curbside pile grew taller and taller to become the biggest one on our street so far. We’re probably only a fourth of the way through, we still have the roof and backyard to go, but it was a good start.

"Well John (Jones), you sure do know how to show a girl a good time!"--from Indiana Jones.

Laura Keolanui Stark is un-hunkering down. She can be reached at stark.laura.k@gmail.com when her internet service comes back.