On August 27th, Hurricane Laura blew through northwest Louisiana. Strong winds uprooted trees and knocked limbs loose, resulting in significant property damage and extended power outages. Compared to the surrounding area, the Centenary College campus suffered relatively minor inconveniences.
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Hurricane Laura's aggressive blowing uprooted a loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) near the Student Union Building.
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When the loblolly fell, a fringe tree was crushed and other nearby trees lost a few branches. You can find a video of the wreckage on the Centenary College Facebook page.
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The root ball popped out of the ground, next to the sidewalk, without disturbing the concrete.
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Loblolly pines have rough bark broken into large, cinnamon-colored plates.
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Luckily, the tree fell away from the Student Union Building.
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Why did it fall one way rather than another? Is it just a matter of which way the wind was blowing? Surely the concrete foundation of the Student Union Building interfered with the loblolly's root development, resulting in a weakened constitution.
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Leaves were collected for inspection, to confirm that the ruined tree is in fact a loblolly.
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Needles measured more than 6" and less than 7½".
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Leaves are bundled in groups of three, which is a good indicator that this pine was a loblolly.
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