Secrest Arboretum was hit by a significant tornado last year. Steve Galehouse reported this, but wasn't able to get any pictures. I stopped last weekend and found the area is opened. It appears the northern part was hit very hard in a swath ~200-250 yards wide. This area was predominantly native woodland with some short exotics planted in the understory. The short exotics survived but the native forest was smashed:
- Tornado Blowdown panorama
On of the saddest casualties was a massive red oak ~ 6.5' diameter at ground level. I counted 183 rings. If I remember right this tree was short and squat:
- 183 year old Red Oak Stump
The Blowdown stopped just short of the dawn redwoods plot, planted, according to the sign, in 1953. The tallest was 7' 3.5" x 111.6' tall. Not the isolated specimen in the front center just behind the yews, which is broken off 1/3 of the way up (This is the tree pictured in the foreground in the second dawn redwood in my original post above). The area where I'm standing used to be forested. The staff apparently took the opportunity to regrade the whole area because of a rapidly eroding ravine behind me and to the left.
