On Storm Damage.

I'll dedicate this post to review a few of the situations that we experienced with the high winds produced by hurricane Sandy.

Case 1:  The willow in the river.

This willow failed across a stream, only hanging on by some holding fibers just above the root flare.  It seemed to be a combination of a torsion roll out and a shear plane crack.  Luckily, there was a second willow next to the failure with a sound scaffold limb that reached out nearing the plumb line of the work to be done on the failed tree.  This limb presented a tie-in point for a climber to walk out onto the failed tree safely in order to work.  What the second willow also presented was the opportunity to set up rigging in order to retrieve free cut pieces of wood out of the creek and onto shore.

This concept of tie-in point is extremely important in storm damage work because usually wood is under a large amount of pressure, and throughout the climber's work loads may shift dramatically.  In this scenario, the climber and his system should be out of the path of that load shifting or settling.  And the rigging must compensate too for keeping the climber safe and the wood being transfered out of the path of the lifeline. 

Case 2:  Partially failed aspen tree with a large drop zone.

 Another important consideration when dealing with storm damage is rigging points.  In this second case, an aspen tree had partially failed and half it's root system was rocking out of the ground.  We had an alley to fell the tree into, but with the partial failure of the root system there was too much lean for a simple hinge to hold the tree as it fell into the lay.  Because there were a variety of rigging points (other trees throughout the property), we had the benefit of different rigging angles to work off of.  With throwlines we were able to set two separate rigging lines in the aspen.  With a holding rope in line with the direction of the root failure, we were able to build a 5:1 ratio into the rig and virtually stand the tree back up to it's original position.  A second pull rope was installed in line with the desired direction of the fall.  In the pull line with built a 3:1 ratio for tension on the tree into the drop zone.  With a conventional hinge and back cut, the aspen was coaxed smoothly into the drop zone.  Because we had a situation where many different rigging points were available, manipulating the tree back to a controlled position was possible in order to fell it safely.



Case 3:  The silver maple stub.

Sandy left a large stub on this silver maple over a shed.  Not only was the shed a target, but also the lower scaffold limbs of the maple itself, making it necessary to transfer the wood into a more desirable drop zone.  We were able to build a compound rigging system with retrievable blocks set from the ground with throwlines.  This saves the time of having to climb to those areas and hand set rigging, narrowing the scope of work down to one station for the climber.  

In a situation like this where there will really only be one main working point in the climb, a system known as "the secret weapon" comes in very handy.  Essentially this method is a combination of doubled-rope technique (dynamic) and single-rope technique (static).  By setting a static line with a basal tie-off (or an aerial anchor such as a running bowline), you can place a six-coil prusik on that line with a eye-to-eye split tail.  Attach a pulley to that prusik and then install your DRT system onto the pulley.  Being that I ascend SRT on a doubled-handle acender with a foot loop and a foot ascender, I simply place my handled ascender underneath the prusik and dial in the length of my DRT system to take the load if I need to rest on the SRT ascent.  You then have the benefit of the high tie-in point of the single line without having to ascend that entire way to install a doubled-rope system.  Once you get to your work station that high angle tie-in point gives a higher level of comfort for setting up more technical rigging on the wood.

Multiple port-a-wraps kept orderly and managed to anchor retrievable blocks, secure climbing systems and run rigging through.

Case 4: The uprooted willow--dynamic cutting situation.

Many times a storm damage situation can take place on the ground, like this situation where the root system of a willow tree completely failed.  This creates numerous loaded points on the tree, which in essence is an incredible amount of potential energy.  Therefore, it's important to identify these specific areas, analyze them and work a plan to relieve those points of pressure safely.  Whether it's rigging, wedges or props, the sawyer should maintain a position that allows for them to be out of the way of any potential shift in the system.  Small pieces usually work well, as the tree will dynamically change as wood begins to get cut away.

These four scenarios are a few of the storm damage situations that we came across in the past weeks.  And although there's many ways to skin a cat, when dealing with storm damage the primary objective should be safety.  Take the time to plan out the work in a way that can not fail.  There should be no question as to what the result will be.  Work within your means and stay successful.