IT was the calm before the storm. On this day one year ago, we went to bed with a warning of high winds to come. Those winds turned out to be the most devastating for a generation.
READ MORE: Diverse woodlands needed to cope with storm damage, say forestry chiefs
Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of Storm Arwen and its 100 mph gales, which devastated large parts of the UK, Ireland and France during the course of three-days of woe. At least three people lost their lives, a still unknown number of trees fell – although it was certainly millions – and thousands of homes were left without power for an extended period.
For those in the know, it ranked with the Great Storm of 87, both in terms of its destruction and its lasting impact. As we have reported throughout the last 12 months, it forced forestry chiefs in Scotland to bin five decades' worth of plans, saw felling processes given a speed boost, and changed the face of many of our woodlands.
Even now the full extent of the havoc it wreaked is still not really known.
With a very obvious caveat regarding the loss of life and property, it did at least provide a platform for forestry and arboriculture professionals to shine.
Like they had done with the Great Storm before it, operators, tree surgeons, office teams – you name it – all sprung into life, fast-tracking felling operations that would usually take twice as long; at the very least.
It will be some time before the full legacy – for want of a better word – of Storm Arwen and the later Corrie and Malik are known, but perhaps it could serve as an annual reminder of just how important the industry is. While everyone was, understandably, taking cover, forestry professionals were rising to the occasion.
If we don't forget anything about Storm Arwen and its siblings, let's not forget that.
This piece is an extract from today’s Forestry Latest News newsletter, which is emailed out at 4PM every Friday with a round-up of the week's top stories.
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