destruction and devastation!

Apparently a microburst rolled through Central Park last tuesday, (and I didn't even know) leaving a swath of destruction in its path. All of this was in the northwest corner of the park where I oft go to sit in the quiet shade of the trees. imagine my surprise and shock when I first walked upon those said trees to find them scattered all over the ground. there really was alot of damage done and they're still cleaning it up days later. I walk through the park every single day and I felt alittle sad seeing all the trees and surrounding areas destroyed, but I guess it will just clear out the area for some new growth. what a weird weird freak occurence. nature is fascinating.

from Central Park's website:

More than 200 trees fell, with hundreds more damaged. Tree canopies were simply wiped away. The most severe damage occurred between 90th and 100th Streets, including a 40" London Plane tree which fell across the East Drive. The Central Park Conservancy deployed 60 operations staff and 17 contractor crews to remove debris and secure affected tree limbs.

The staggering cost of clean-up is estimated at several hundred thousand dollars, but it is impossible to attach a monetary figure to some of the losses. "We had a wonderful chestnut tree at 100th Street and Central Park West," said Neil Calvanese, VP of Operations for the Central Park Conservancy. "Records indicate the tree was planted by the Park's designer, Frederick Law Olmsted, more than 150 years ago." The tree was devastated by the storm and will be removed.