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Disastrous Winds Strike Olathe K-State Research and Extension
Site
by
Ted Carey,
Photos courtesy of Ted Carey
On the evening of August 24, 2004, things got wild at our high
tunnel research site. Apparently a powerful gust of wind associated
with an intense thunderstorm was probably to blame.
The devastation, as illustrated in the pictures below, was tremendous.
It seems unlikely to us that we could have done anything in
the way of tunnel design to have avoided the devastation caused
by the impulsive force of the wind. Although we are located
in Kansas, where severe weather is not uncommon, we consider
this event to have been a freak, and are still very enthusiastic
about high tunnels for the central Great Plains (and elsewhere).
We hope to gain additional practical information during our
process of clean up and reconstruction. The
pictures represent a sampling of the devastation.
Click
on the thumbnails below for a larger view. |
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Before |
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After
(shade cloth in foreground)
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After
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After
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After |
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Posts ripped out of the ground |
Posts thrown on top of tunnel |
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Path of devastation through Haygrove tunnel |
Plastic ripped off and hoops bent in opposite
directions |
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Crumpled tunnels |
Crushed section of tunnel |
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Snapped tie-down wires |
PVC tunnel smacked down |
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Ted Carey is Extension Specialist
for Food Crops, Kansas State University Research and Extension
Center, Olathe, Kansas.
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