Twister's visit left quite a trail of damage
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Russell Deberville looks over the ruins of his barn, destroyed by a tornado Saturday. Stefan Hard/Times Argus |
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By Stefan Hard Times Argus Staff - Published: May 12, 2009
WASHINGTON — Russell Deberville crawled around the mangled wreckage of his 120-foot-long cow barn Monday, examining the damage wrought by a twister that ripped through Washington village Saturday afternoon. It flattened his 60-foot wide barn, lifted the roof off a two-story apartment building, damaged a school awning and roof vent, and shattered several large trees.
The National Weather Service confirmed Monday that it was a tornado that touched down Saturday west of Washington village and traveled about half a mile east-southeast through the village before dissipating. It says the degree of damage is consistent with rotating tornado winds ranging from 90-100 mph.
Subsequent rain damage to the two-story apartment building, owned by Armand and Linda Vermette, may spell the building's doom. But in the case of Russell and Lois Deberville's barn, erected last fall, there's no doubt the barn is damaged beyond repair. The Debervilles estimate their losses at $100,000, and said Monday their agent had already informed them that they were not covered for the tornado damage.
Washington Village School did not open for classes Monday as officials examined the school for any damage that would compromise student safety. Custodian Bert Gallison was cleaning up debris from a large tree that was ripped apart in front of the school.
Russell Deberville was not home when the storm struck, but was burning brush nearby with his son, Jason, and neither of them saw the funnel cloud reported by others in town, as extremely heavy rain obscured their view. Deberville said his son was the first to spot the flattened barn after heavy rain passed, and the two rushed home.
Meanwhile, Lois Deberville was in their single-story, manufactured home, with no basement, about 100 feet from the barn when the twister went through. She said she is glad she didn't see the funnel cloud because she would have been even more frightened than she was and would have had no place to take refuge.
The house was not damaged, but one of the Deberville's calves, just across the driveway from the house, was lifted up, along with the hutch it was chained to, and hung over a nearby fence. Jason arrived in time to free the calf before it choked by cutting its collar with a knife.
On Monday, the Debervilles were visited by an engineer sent by the USDA program that helped them obtain funding last year for the new barn, which allowed them to increase their herd from 30 cows to 50 cows. The farm is an organic dairy. Engineer Scott Berkey of Dubois & King examined the steel tube and fabric structure, sometimes known as a hoop barn, and marveled at the force from the storm's winds.
Berkey guessed that the twisting winds lifting the structure must have put about 10,000 pounds of force on each of the foot-long, three-quarter-inch diameter industrial steel bolts that held the structure to the concrete foundation, because several of the bolts did not shear, or snap, but literally pulled apart, like a string of licorice stretched lengthwise to its breaking point. Several of the metal mounting plates separated from the foundation by taking large chunks of concrete with them.
Tornadoes are rare in Vermont, but not unheard of. The National Weather Service says tornadoes are reported in Vermont about once every two years.
The Debervilles have gotten numerous offers from other farmers to help, including offers to host some of their cows temporarily, but the Deberville's old barn is fully intact, and they said they should be able to continue milking at the farm.
The Debervilles on Monday said USDA agencies like Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Farm Service Administration have responded rapidly to their plight and are helping them come up with an action play for restructuring and refinancing. They also said Greg Lussier Barn Builders, which built the barn last fall, have offered the Debervilles a discount on a new barn and have offered to work for lower labor rates to put up the new structure.
Lois Deberville said she is dismayed that they will have to continue making payments on a barn that is destroyed, but when she looks back at the disaster, she is most struck by how fortunate it was that no one was hurt, that the tornado struck on a weekend when no children were in school, or possibly outside playing when it's winds toppled a swing set in the playground.