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  1. #21
    Senior Member DemostiX's Avatar
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    Here are selections from a more complete story. As in analysis of airplane crashes, it can take awhile for a final and usually more correct statement than the first speculation and blame-casting.

    Somerset County man dies after tree falls on tent in Hunterdon County park

    Published: Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 1:23 PM Updated: Tuesday, June 28, 2011, 8:41 PM
    By Star-Ledger Staff
    Jerry McCrea/The Star-Ledger
    Debris and personal property are scattered at the scene where a fallen tree killed a man and injured his wife who were camping with their children on NJ Jersey state property at Bulls Island Recreation Area along the Delaware River in Hunterdon County.

    DELAWARE TOWNSHIP — Officials say the large tree that crashed down on a family camping at the Bull’s Island campground this morning snapped at the root but had passed the seasonal inspection of trees earlier this year.

    An adult sycamore weighing "several thousand pounds" fell around 6 a.m. on a sleeping family, killing a 46-year-old man from Somerset County and injuring his wife, said spokeswoman Abbie Tang-Smith of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

    "This tree, the one that fell, was fully leafed and seemingly in decent shape," said DEP spokesman Larry Ragonese.

    Regional forester David Johnson was on scene this morning examining the tree for an hour and a half.

    "The problem was 8 to 10 inches beneath the ground," he said. "It was biologically functioning but there’s a difference between biologically functioning and structurally sound," Johnson said.

    The family was camping at an approved site.

    The tree was removed from the site and campers at the adjacent four campsites have left. The campground was fully booked for the season, according to Ragonese.

    Last fiscal year, about 370,000 campers visited the Bull’s Island campgrounds at the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park, Tang-Smith said.
    -------

    Government authorities are closing recreation areas and laying off parks workers in budget cuts. Look at the camper count at that single state park last year, 370,000.

    May I say here that we who use the woods might do what many who fish the streams, lakes, bay and oceans, do? Organize, pay fees, and preserve? I don't fish, but I do observe that recreational fishers long ago bit the bullet (or their sinkers -- same poisoning risk --) pay annual fees that seem outrageously high compared to zero fees, (eg $200 to fish.......for a year, which many are doing for >200 days and nights), and get a say on preservation and everything else that means a lot to their quality of life.
    Last edited by DemostiX; 07-01-2011 at 03:04.

  2. #22
    Senior Member Can't Wait's Avatar
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    I heard the news report when I was leaving work this am so sad to here , was a freak accident may the lord be with the family

  3. #23
    all secure in sector 7 Shug's Avatar
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    Very tragic and my heart goes out to that family.



    Here is an interesting report from the Tree Care Industry Association.
    http://www.treecareindustry.org/arti...TCI1208_p8.htm



    There were 407 deaths caused by wind related tree failures in the United States during 1995-2007, an average of 31 per year. These occurred in 41 states and the District of Columbia. Of the 407 known deaths caused by wind-related tree failure during 1995-2007, the location of the victim (such as in vehicle, outdoors, in house) was known for all 407 deaths, age was known for 392 (96 percent), and sex was known for 391 (96 percent). Most (62 percent) of the victims were male with a median age of 44 years. Forty-four percent were struck by a fallen tree or limb while in a vehicle, 38 percent were struck outdoors, and 18 percent were struck while in their home – half in a mobile home and half in a frame house. Table 1 contains a summary of this information.
    The regional distributions of deaths are shown on the map (Fig. 1, next page). Most incidents involved a single death, however, two fallen trees caused four deaths each. A falling tree struck a school bus carrying 10 children during a nonconvective high wind event in Queens, New York City, on March 6, 1997, killing four and injuring six. A tree fell on a vehicle in Yakima County, Washington, on August 26, 1997, killing all four occupants. This event is listed as a “high wind” in Storm Data, although other damaging events that day are listed as “thunderstorms.” The discussion below examines deaths based on the type of severe weather that caused the fallen trees.

    Thunderstorm winds
    There were 165 deaths from fallen trees caused by thunderstorm winds. About 40 percent of these thunderstorms are expected to have been associated with derechos. Derechos are widespread, long-lived windstorms that are associated with bands of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Most (58 percent) of the deaths were male, the median age was 39 years (range 1-89 years), and deaths occurred primarily to persons in vehicles (47 percent) and outdoors (40 percent).
    Whooooo Buddy)))) All Secure in Sector Seven

  4. #24
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    Very sad to read and hear of this tragic event! As an observation while hiking the AT this year in VA I have seen many many trees that looked horrible and there were many spots where it looked like a dead forest, which is very different than just a couple years ago!
    "yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift---thats why its called a present" - Master Oogway
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  5. #25
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    Sycamores are indeed trashy trees and their root system is weak if I understand correctly. They are huge beasities and that kind of tree often rots from the inside out. If the root system is compromised by the core wood being dead it can not support several thousand pounds. It appears they were at a commercial campsite. No way is a reputable campsite going to leave an obviously bad tree in a place where it could land on a tent site. I'll bet you could have looked at that tree top to bottom and not seen anything to give you pause. It just let loose.
    I no longer think all of this stuff can be predicted or the risk detected. Oh sure, there are some obvious dangers that can be avoided. But since I have been paying attention to this sort of thing, I have observed many a fine looking tree laying on the ground, having fallen over since the last time I walked near it. I have seen big, healthy looking trees broken off 3 or 4 feet from the ground, and I have seen big trees pulled out by their giant root system.

    For quite a while now I have been feeling that the trees ( and their branches when large) are a much bigger risk than the bears or other wild life. And particularly as we stress them by hanging from them, probably also a bigger risk than many other things as well.

    Quote Originally Posted by Cannibal View Post
    ......... The other thing I do was told to me by a ranger, so I accept it as a good guideline; I knock on the tree. Apparently, the ones that are dead, or near death, but still look healthy give a hollow sound when knocked on. Pines are about the only thing I worry about so I don't know if these 'tricks' are valid on other species or not.

    Hate hearing about this stuff, but it seems to happen pretty regularly.
    Sure does! We recently had a great grandmother- holding her 6 month old great grand child- INSIDE an RV - both killed when a tree fell on them!

    That is the 2nd in this immediate area in a couple of months!

    http://www.hammockforums.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=34533

    http://nems360.com/view/full_story/1...ames-released?
    Last edited by BillyBob58; 06-29-2011 at 16:00.

  6. #26
    MacEntyre's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    And particularly as we stress them by hanging from them...
    Speak for yourself, big guy!

    Wait a minute... you weight about 2/3 what I weigh!
    - MacEntyre
    "We must, indeed, all hang together or, most assuredly, we shall all hang separately." - Ben Franklin
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  7. #27
    Senior Member Doctari's Avatar
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    Sad story!! I'm glad "Only" one died. Traumatic to the kids though, & mom is badly hurt.

    I won't hang near a Sycamore. Should have mentioned it in the other "widowmaker" thread. Sorry!

    Sycamores are, sorry but the only way to put this is: Weird trees! Very tough, but very fragile. A normal tree has rings, kind of like this (((0)))) a cross section of a sycamore is kind of like this: j:;(.lk[": No easily determined pattern. Like I said, weird.
    As stated above: They drop limbs & branches at random times, but try cutting one down & you better pack a spare chainsaw blade or 3, & I have spend HOURS trying to split less than 1/2 a cord of wood from a sycamore, but have seen what looked like healthy trees just fall over. No wind, a seemingly healthy root system in good soil,,,,,,

    One good use of a sycamore, they like wet feet (roots) so are a good indicator of water from a distance. A line of white barked trees can mean a stream. If you see Sycamores AND Willows together, you got a good stream nearby.
    They are also rather good long term firewood in that they will hold a LOT of water, thereby burning slowly, so once you have a good fire going, a decent Sycamore log will burn nearly all night.
    When you have a backpack on, no matter where you are, you’re home.
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  8. #28
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MacEntyre View Post
    Speak for yourself, big guy!
    OK skinny, I will!

    Wait a minute... you weight about 2/3 what I weigh!
    I don't know about that! I may well out weigh you, especially since the last time I saw you, during which time I have no doubt added at least a few pounds!

  9. #29
    Senior Member G...Hawk's Avatar
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    Last year tornado and tornado-like winds went thru Queens, New York City.
    Over 3000 trees went down according to the Queens Forestry Dept.
    Changing the look of many neighborhoods.
    Hundreds of old large trees and smaller trees within a few blocks of our house went down.

    About a week later, at around 11am, on a gentle breeze, little wind day a very large tree, a couple of blocks down our street fell across the road. Broken from the roots just below the earth.

    Apparently damaged in the storm, but it took that week for the elements of change to shift the weight and make it topple.

  10. #30
    Senior Member kayak karl's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by G...Hawk View Post
    Last year tornado and tornado-like winds went thru Queens, New York City.
    Over 3000 trees went down according to the Queens Forestry Dept.
    Changing the look of many neighborhoods.
    Hundreds of old large trees and smaller trees within a few blocks of our house went down.

    About a week later, at around 11am, on a gentle breeze, little wind day a very large tree, a couple of blocks down our street fell across the road. Broken from the roots just below the earth.

    Apparently damaged in the storm, but it took that week for the elements of change to shift the weight and make it topple.
    and Bull's island has been under water a lot and a % of the campground was closed for this reason. this investigation ain't over yet.
    "Tenting is equivalent to a bum crawling into a cardboard box, hammocking is an art" KK

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