Storm Damage Update

It’s been a little over a week since the big storm that caused so much damage rolled through our town and things are looking much brighter for us.  Our power was restored on the evening of July 4, a real relief.  A giant crew out of Ohio worked hard in the relentless heat to bring power back to our neighborhood.  What a relief when we realized that power was back.  We have several friends in town who are still without power.

We were able to get a tree crew last Sunday to get the tree off of our roof and they came back on Friday to remove the rest of the big trees.  Meanwhile, Mr. SP and I cleaned up the yard and cut up and hauled to the street several giant pines that fell on a flowerbed.

The contractor who put the addition on our house a few years ago agreed to help us with repairs.  He hopes to fix the damage to our addition on Monday.  Other damage will be fixed at a later date.

Let me share with you the aftermath of the storm.

From the front of the house the damage doesn’t look so bad.  It looks like there’s simply some debris on the roof.
Front Damage2

Here’s the top of one of the trees that fell.  You still can’t see the damage.  The pretty purple blooming Vitex had to be cut down by the tree guys.  I have a glimmer of hope that it may regrow but right now I can’t even find its stump.
Front Damage1

From the other side of the house you can see the tree on the roof and dormer.  Also note that the heater on our patio is bent to pieces.  It will have to be replaced.
Side Damage1

Back Damage6

The backyard is where the real damage can be seen.
Back Damage1Back Damage2Back Damage3Back Damage4

Mr. SP inspecting the damage.
Back Damage5Back Damage7

Mr. SP looks like he’s in a jungle, not standing at the side of our house.
Back Damage8

This is the worst of our damage.  You can see that the tree crushed in the roof on this side of the house.
Back Damage9

This is what the damage looks like inside.  Since this picture was taken last Saturday, the drywall in this area has been removed.
Family Room Ceiling Damage

Mr. SP took this picture of the dormer after the tree was removed from the house.  You can see that there is damage to the roof.
Dormer Damage2

This is what the plaster looks like inside of that room.  We aren’t sure yet if the walls are damaged.  If they are, then Mr. SP’s pretty tile will have to come down.
Ceiling Damage in Bathroom

This tree punctured the roof on the main part of the house.
Roof DamageRoof Damage2Roof Damage3Roof Damage4Roof Damage5Roof Damage6

The tree trucks were a welcome site but they did a number on our turf.
Trucks on Lawn
Back Damage10
Trucks on Lawn2

Back Damage11

Cut up logs coming out of the backyard on Friday.  I’m sure the tree guy will be able to make some money selling these at the mill.  The truck is running over one of my flowerbeds.
Truck with Logs

Two giant pines fell on one of my flowerbeds.  Mr. SP and I cleaned all of this up on our own.
Pine on Big Flowerbed1Pine on Big Flowerbed2Pine on Big Flowerbed3

Progress after a day’s work.
Pine on Big Flowerbed4

After another day’s work the mess is gone and the area is much more open than it was.  The deer probably really appreciate us clearing out a path for them.
Pine on Big Bed After1Pine on Big Bed After3

The big trees have been removed and now we need to clean up the remaining debris.  The guys will be back in a few weeks to remove the big Poplar that you can see in the middle of the picture.  I hate to cut it down, but it has scared us for years and it’s the tree that we originally thought fell on our house when we heard the big BOOM during the storm.  The Sycamore leaning toward our shed isn’t ours, but we hope to remove it, too.
Front After2

The yard has giant ruts all over it but I am not going to worry about it until all of the tree work is complete.  I am grateful that the tree guys could help us so quickly because they are in high demand right now.
Front After

This is pretty much all that’s been going on in my life.  Yesterday we took a break after doing some yard work and went to the lake.  We both spent a lot of time sleeping in our chairs in the shade and then took a nice boat ride.  Our grill was IN the lake but there was no other damage there.  Mr. SP was able to dive down to retrieve the propane tank but the grill was too deep to save.

Thanks again for all of the encouraging comments left on my last post.  I really appreciated them!

30 Comments

  1. Paula, so glad to hear that you all finally have power back. So glad you were able to get the tree man in quickly but I hate that you have all that damage to your beautiful home! I’ve been thinking about you this week! Hang in there friend!

  2. Paula, so glad to hear that you all finally have power back. So glad you were able to get the tree man in quickly but I hate that you have all that damage to your beautiful home! I’ve been thinking about you this week! Hang in there friend!

  3. Oh my goodness Paula. Again, I am so sorry about all of this mess. Nothing to do but pick up and move on though and it sounds like ya’ll are making great progress.

    Isn’t it amazing how restoring power can really pick up your spirits! After having a week long power outage a few years ago during an ice storm I totally understand that.

    Been thinking and praying for ya’ll.

  4. Paula, What a nightmare.
    I hope everything gets back to normal soon and maybe your purple little bush will come back twice as full.

    Cheri

  5. Wow, Paula, it was so bad! I’m glad you all were safe. You had such pretty flower beds. I hope your life gets back to normal soon.

  6. What a mess! I’m so sorry, Paula! Looks like you are beginning to get a handle on it, though! I am so happy that you are safe and sound!…hugs…Debbie

  7. I am happy to hear you are all safe. I hope things will get back to normal for you soon. Looks like you have made lots of progress already.

  8. We were at the lake when the storm hit, and we didn’t even lose power. It was the strangest storm I’ve ever seen – lots of wind but no rain. I know you and Mr. SP are made of tough stuff and you’ll tackle each project as they come. It’s disappointing to see your beautiful work in ruins, but you’ll get it back.

  9. I’m so happy that you are both safe, but I am so sorry about the damage! I know it’s frustrating, and you had both done so much great work to the house and yard. I’m thinking about you!

  10. My gracious!! What a mess!! I am so glad you weren’t hurt during all of that tree falling madness! So glad the tree guys got the trees taken care of though. Those trees were HUGE! Scary stuff! So glad everything is on the mend. Hope the inside work goes smoothly.

  11. Wow! You sure got wollopped! We made out pretty good. Lost electricity twice, lost some branches. Around here, it’s been so random…one block will look like everthing was ripped up by the roots…the next is hardly touched. Hope the storms they’re predicting for tonight will produce light rain and no havoc! We can hope….

  12. Wow! That makes my stomach hurt just looking at the photos! Like I said though, so glad you all are fine, the yard and the house can be fixed!

  13. Oh, Paula. These pictures just make me feel so sick. You sure were hit hard. That hole in your roof looks just like the one we ended up with earlier. I’m going to email you some info. At least it should be cooler this week, as you continue your yard clean up.

  14. Paula,

    I missed your last post…I had no idea! I am so very sorry! Thankful that you all are ok, but sad because I know how much your yard means to you. I know how hard we have worked this summer to keep our grass alive and I even saw a sprinkler still standing in one of those first pictures. Oh, the hard work that has gone into your yard and flowers gardens. We had damage like this in 2000. It’s hard to forget! So sorry.

  15. I’m sooo sorry you had so much damage 🙁 You have worked so hard in renovating, gardening and landscaping and to have it all undone 🙁 It’s something I care not to repeat ever in my life.

  16. My goodness, how scary to have had that happen.I’m so glad that you’re making progress on getting your home back to pre-storm status. Best of luck for your next steps!

  17. What a mess Paula, but so thankful you are ok and that you and Mr. SP weren’t hurt. I know you have a lot of work to do and I hope you are able to save some of those plants that are so special to you. Take care.

  18. I can’t feel the real depth of your damage but Looks like you have a good start on recovering. So sorry for all. We had some falling branches but nothing like yours. Bless you both in your work to come.

  19. I never realized your trees were so large! The picture of Mr. SP walking near one gives more perspective … they are/were huge! I’m so glad your power is restored … hot baths and cold air make ordeals like this tolerable. Continuing to pray for you guys. Leslie

  20. oh my gosh, i’m SO sorry you have to deal with this. it’s even worse, i’m sure, now that you can really see what the damage is. i wish for your to get your home all fixed up as quick as can be.

  21. Paula this is such devastation. Thank God you are all OK. We had a storm similar to that last Spring. Just about every roof in our neighborhood and surrounding area had roof damage. We were lucky and just had trees falling down and lots of debri. I hope it is going better for you now.

  22. Wow, that is mind blowing. I can only imagine how much time and effort (and money) it will take to restore your home to its previous shape. I’m so sorry!

  23. Paula, you got clobbered! I wish you two the best. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I know you won’t rest until everything is back to being more normal.

  24. Paula, I’ve been on a little vaca, so I didn’t know about your storm damage! So sorry for all ya’ll have been through. That storm sure made a mess and left lots of damage! Hope the repairs go smoothly!!!

  25. Oh, my goodness, Paula! Those trees did a number!!! Does your homeowners insurance cover any of the damages?? All we had was a crushed shed roof, but our deductible is so high that we’ll just have to pay out of pocket for a new one.

    So glad you all are safe. 🙂

  26. so sorry to hear about your extensive damange. we are in SW VA and a tree fell on our car. We are going to donate it to a charity rather than repair. Everyone in our neighborhood was out power at least 5 days. Crazy times.

  27. I am so sorry all of that damage happened from the storm. I know you commented on my blog and said that you were in Va. too. What part?

    I adore your home and all of your projects! Happy to be a new follower!

  28. Felt sorry for your loss.beautiful flowers.felt sad about your flower beds.You are great at gardening.You seems responsible and caring about your hobby.

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