Backyard tornado
Midwesterners are used to severe weather in spring and summer. I’m no stranger to scooting down to the basement to take cover during a storm. But last July, a tornado came a little too close for comfort, zipping right down the street from my house and through my neighborhood.
First and foremost, no one was injured, and there was no significant damage to the homes in my area aside from some missing shingles or siding. However, I live in a neighborhood with some tall old trees that weren’t so lucky.
After the storm passed and we came out to survey the damage, it was no surprise to see enormous chunks of our walnut tree in one neighbor’s yard and part of another neighbor’s maple in our driveway and on top of our camper. But the large cluster of branches covering my shed and garden was the issue I zeroed in on. The largest branch was nearly a foot in diameter, and my lovely garden was under it.
The garden takes a hit
Last summer was my first go-round as a dahlia grower. In July, I had nine hearty dahlias on the brink of blooming. In all honesty, I was feeling pretty cocky. Of course, my first concern after the storm was that my family was safe and our house was standing. But quickly after that (a little too quickly, I’ll admit), I was hurrying across the yard to see how badly the flowers had been hit.
The large branch was still partially connected to the walnut tree. The bulk of its weight rested on top of our shed, punching out a skylight and denting the roof, but other branches and debris blanketed the area where my dahlias were planted. Some of the stakes I’d used to stabilize the dahlias lay mangled under a pile of twigs and leaves. It wasn’t looking good.
Cleanup begins
I took a few deep breaths and mentally prepared myself to see all the dahlias snapped in half. The dream of never-ending summer bouquets withered and died in my heart. But what was this?
As we slowly chipped away at the mess, I spotted at least one dahlia plant leaning but intact. Then another. And another. They were battered and a bit worse for the wear, but nothing was unsalvageable.
When the last of the brush was cleared away, all nine dahlias were spared. Each needed restaking, but the extra work was worth the joy of not losing them.
While I wasn’t expecting a tornado in my backyard this summer, it reminded me to be grateful for the good things. Our trees lost some branches but remained strong. The garden was a mess to clean but actually thrived the rest of the summer. And we are fortunate to have such good friends and neighbors with chainsaws.
Jamie has always dreamed of being a storm chaser and loves the buzz and excitement of severe weather, which is probably why she has watched the movie “Twister” no less than 20 times.
Read Jamie's new novel!
Weight of Water
Follow Jamie on Social Media
@JamieSeitzWriter on Facebook
@JamieSeitzAuthor on Instagram
Related Links:
Read More In the Weeds
Shop In the Weeds Totes & Tees!
