Damage to Wigert’s by Hurricane Ian :(

[Mikecheck123]

Ok... sure. Irma and Michael were the only 2 hurricane this decade to make landfall or go through the west side of FL. Irma was a Cat 1 when it went through Ft Myers/Tampa area. Not the same as having a Cat 4 behemoth approaching you head on... go look at pictures of Puerto Rico to see what that does. Full concrete houses roof torn apart where all you can see is the rebar sticking out. They have not seen a storm like this in their lifetime.

Even if that's true, insinuating that they're stupid and that you know how to prepare a huge bonsai nursery for a major hurricane way better than they do is impolite. And stupid.

 

[rockm]

Some perspective. These are only a few of the prep pics they posted. I stole them from the FB post...

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Pivoting slightly from Wigerts - because I feel for them and hope first that no one was injured, and second that they get their business up a running ASAP...

This reminds me of living on the west coast, and earthquake preparedness. A big earthquake is going to hit the west coast. They KNOW it will... they just don't know when. So everyone living on the west coast is supposed to keep emergency supplies in their homes, consisting of emergency food, water, first aid kits, rechargeable devices, etc. But people get complacent and/or tired of the space and expense. In the two decades we lived there, out of all my friends, we were the ONLY family that I knew that was actually even partially prepared for an earthquake.

Trust me, when an earthquake hits the west coast, it is going to be complete devastation, and the finger-pointing will begin immediately. "Why didn't the government do more to prepare?" "Why didn't someone tell me living on the side of a mountain in an earthquake zone was a bad idea?" Etc. Comparatively speaking, Florida has more experience, and takes these storms more seriously. I actually thought the storm response was pretty good, considering the giant population centers down there.

 

[Maiden69]

You often don't know that until 2 days ahead of time because they can and do change that much.

That doesn't seem like much to do but it can take most of the day so I have to take a last minute day off of work to do it.

If I had to prep every time a storm shows up in the Atlantic, I'd never have my boats in the water after June some years, and my trees would not be on their benches.

Yes, 2 days ahead of time... plenty of time to get prepared.

Even if that's true, insinuating that they're stupid and that you know how to prepare a huge bonsai nursery for a major hurricane way better than they do is impolite. And stupid.

Not placing a $10K plus tree on the ground is stupid... since I am stupid for insinuating that, prove me wrong. The tree in the second picture looks like the Cuban Laurel that they sell for $18.5k on their website...

Cuban Laurel - *Wigert's Specimen Tree* - Wigert's Bonsai

DIMENSIONS: Height from soil: 40" - Overall width: 49" - Nebari: 28" - Chinese pot: 38 1/2"

www.wigertsbonsai.com

 

[Mikecheck123]

Pivoting slightly from Wigerts - because I feel for them and hope first that no one was injured, and second that they get their business up a running ASAP...

This reminds me of living on the west coast, and earthquake preparedness. A big earthquake is going to hit the west coast. They KNOW it will... they just don't know when. So everyone living on the west coast is supposed to keep emergency supplies in their homes, consisting of emergency food, water, first aid kits, rechargeable devices, etc. But people get complacent and/or tired of the space and expense. In the two decades we lived there, out of all my friends, we were the ONLY family that I knew that was actually even partially prepared for an earthquake.

Trust me, when an earthquake hits the west coast, it is going to be complete devastation, and the finger-pointing will begin immediately. "Why didn't the government do more to prepare?" "Why didn't someone tell me living on the side of a mountain in an earthquake zone was a bad idea?" Etc. Comparatively speaking, Florida has more experience, and takes these storms more seriously. I actually thought the storm response was pretty good, considering the giant population centers down there.

We lived on some of the reclaimed land in the Bay. Otherwise known as a liquefaction zone that will swallow houses whole when a big enough earthquake strikes. I do worry from time to time about my former neighbors and what could happen to them. Basically at any time.

 

[rockm]

Pivoting slightly from Wigerts - because I feel for them and hope first that no one was injured, and second that they get their business up a running ASAP...

This reminds me of living on the west coast, and earthquake preparedness. A big earthquake is going to hit the west coast. They KNOW it will... they just don't know when. So everyone living on the west coast is supposed to keep emergency supplies in their homes, consisting of emergency food, water, first aid kits, rechargeable devices, etc. But people get complacent and/or tired of the space and expense. In the two decades we lived there, out of all my friends, we were the ONLY family that I knew that was actually even partially prepared for an earthquake.

Trust me, when an earthquake hits the west coast, it is going to be complete devastation, and the finger-pointing will begin immediately. "Why didn't the government do more to prepare?" "Why didn't someone tell me living on the side of a mountain in an earthquake zone was a bad idea?" Etc. Comparatively speaking, Florida has more experience, and takes these storms more seriously. I actually thought the storm response was pretty good, considering the giant population centers down there.

Since Katrina, the S.E. has been getting better and better at storm prep, as have the emergency responders. FEMA learned some hard lessons and innovations in the wake of that storm, as did localities. I used to cover FEMA as a news reporter at the time. Katrina was, for lack of a better less-punny term, a turning of the tide for hurricane response by government and populations.

The attitudes of "we'll just ride this out" because nothing really really bad has happened is mostly gone among people. That attitude was a a blindness to history -- The 1900 Galveston storm that killed 7,000 people was a faded memory unfortunately.

 

[Maiden69]

But people get complacent and/or tired of the space and expense. In the two decades we lived there, out of all my friends, we were the ONLY family that I knew that was actually even partially prepared for an earthquake.

1000%

Living in a tiny island that gets hit by hurricane and tropical storms often for the first 28 years of my life showed me to do as much as I can to be prepared for any emergency. When we had the snow storm 2 years back I filled my 3 bathtubs with water... the wife thought I was crazy. When we lost water for a little over a week people in the area were shoveling snow and trying to melt it just to flush the toilets, at least we had that covered.

 

[rockm]

Yes, 2 days ahead of time... plenty of time to get prepared.


Not placing a $10K plus tree on the ground is stupid... since I am stupid for insinuating that, prove me wrong. The tree in the second picture looks like the Cuban Laurel that they sell for $18.5k on their website...

Cuban Laurel - *Wigert's Specimen Tree* - Wigert's Bonsai

DIMENSIONS: Height from soil: 40" - Overall width: 49" - Nebari: 28" - Chinese pot: 38 1/2"

www.wigertsbonsai.com

View attachment 457539

Again, you really have no idea what you're talking about...at a time when their business is probably staggering on the brink. Talk about kicking someone when they're down...I'm pretty sure they did the best they could with what they had. Second guessing and armchair quarterbacking is silly.

 

[Mikecheck123]

Yes, 2 days ahead of time... plenty of time to get prepared.


Not placing a $10K plus tree on the ground is stupid... since I am stupid for insinuating that, prove me wrong. The tree in the second picture looks like the Cuban Laurel that they sell for $18.5k on their website...

Cuban Laurel - *Wigert's Specimen Tree* - Wigert's Bonsai

DIMENSIONS: Height from soil: 40" - Overall width: 49" - Nebari: 28" - Chinese pot: 38 1/2"

www.wigertsbonsai.com

View attachment 457539

You have proven yourself wrong with the question that asks about a single tree on a 6 acre property with the benefit of hindsight knowing what already happened. It actually looks like more than 95% of their large trees did not tip over. Smart planning!

 

[rockm]

Yes, 2 days ahead of time... plenty of time to get prepared.


Not placing a $10K plus tree on the ground is stupid... since I am stupid for insinuating that, prove me wrong. The tree in the second picture looks like the Cuban Laurel that they sell for $18.5k on their website...

Cuban Laurel - *Wigert's Specimen Tree* - Wigert's Bonsai

DIMENSIONS: Height from soil: 40" - Overall width: 49" - Nebari: 28" - Chinese pot: 38 1/2"

www.wigertsbonsai.com

View attachment 457539

"Yes, 2 days ahead of time... plenty of time to get prepared."

Like I said, before you start feeling superior and casting stones at a now struggling business, you might want to look at some of the FB posts on their preparations--WHICH BEGAN THREE DAYS AGO...they were prepared as much as possible. The pics you seem to think represent their entire inventory are probably less than 5 percent. Yeah, there were some big expensive trees that got toppled but if you take a deeper look, you might see that scores more of those big trees were protected/stored or taken off stands, etc.

And blaming them for damage in a CATEGORY 4 storm is plain ridiculous. IT'S A CATEGORY 4 STORM. Yes, stuff is going to get damaged. With all your hurricane experience you should probably understand that?

 

[Paradox]

2 days to haul a couple of boats and move my 50 trees is doable

A business moving 1000s in 2 days plus allow their employees to prep their own property and possibly have to evacuate, maybe not so much.
Looks like they spent 3 days and got most protected so they did start ahead of time but just couldn't get it all done.

 

[HankDio]

Florida is a low-lying state. In hindsight maybe placing things on the ground would have been preferrable, but if there were surge of brackish to salty water flooding over pots the same people would say "Why did they put them on the ground?" There is no accounting for unforeseen events and their consequences, especially when you have limited hands and have to make value judgments. There is only so much "safe" space. Glad everyone is safe.

 

[Sansokuu]

Why did they not put expensive trees in expensive pots and with huge canopies on the ground?
"Hurricane" sounds like something where that would be appropriate

On their facebook they did put a large number of trees on the ground. Maybe they weren’t able to get to these with the time and manpower they had.

*edit* I just now read some of the hindsight is 20/20 posts and yeah, y’all really shouldn’t judge or criticize. They did their best. They are well aware the value and worth of their trees. Nobody wants this to happen. It is easy to say ‘coulda, shoulda, woulda but didn’tah‘. It is a harsh lesson for everyone, perhaps they might invest in secure anchoring but that’s another expense on top of operating a business. For an event that may or may never again happen. Plus if a hurricane is going to abscond with a 300 lb. tree doubt there will be much left of anything else. I’ve seen workshops where people use winches just to lift the tree/rootball, perhaps it was a resource they didn’t have access or manpower for. Let’s focus on supporting their recovery. Positive vibes!

 

[namnhi]

I am pretty sure they did all they can with whatever they have. Having live through a Cat 2 hurricane, I don't think I will stay if we have one forecasted. Cat 4 pretty much destroy most structure that is not reinforced with cement and rebar. I am glad the damage is not worst than what it is shown in the photos.

 

[penumbra]

I have an issue with this, I get that they are on the west coast of FL and most hurricanes hit the east side so they don't normally experience the full winds of the storm. But not placing all those trees in the floor and dropping the canopies is either plain ignorance, stupidity, or something else $$$.

Yes, 2 days ahead of time... plenty of time to get prepared.

Damn, you are amazing. Its too bad everyone else isn't as wise and compassionate as you are.
I guess some people when looking down the barrel are concerned with other things. They just don't have what it takes ..... but you do.
Screw the employees, save the trees .....in retrospect.

 

[Iowa newbie]

You are both right...

I have an issue with this, I get that they are on the west coast of FL and most hurricanes hit the east side so they don't normally experience the full winds of the storm. But not placing all those trees in the floor and dropping the canopies is either plain ignorance, stupidity, or something else $$$.

You have no clue what you're talking about. They went through another huge hurricane just a few years ago. They were BETTER prepared for this one, but there's only so much you can do.

Mikecheck is correct here. I was there just 2 months ago and the place is huge, some of the largest trees require machinery and manpower to move. I feel for them and hope they can recover, pray for the other ones who lost their homes or worse, loved ones

 

[Shogun610]

@rockm I understand that, I just can't understand why would they think that leaving those huge trees in cinder block towers was ok... Hell, I wouldn't even have a tree that huge in a cinder block tower not filled with rebar and cement. I would be paranoid that the thing will fall all the time.

The more and more stuff I read you post ..the more and more annoying , snarky, and judgmental I think you are and you don’t even share trees .. you just talk smack and gush over Mirai.

 

[michaelj]

Pivoting slightly from Wigerts - because I feel for them and hope first that no one was injured, and second that they get their business up a running ASAP...

This reminds me of living on the west coast, and earthquake preparedness. A big earthquake is going to hit the west coast. They KNOW it will... they just don't know when. So everyone living on the west coast is supposed to keep emergency supplies in their homes, consisting of emergency food, water, first aid kits, rechargeable devices, etc. But people get complacent and/or tired of the space and expense. In the two decades we lived there, out of all my friends, we were the ONLY family that I knew that was actually even partially prepared for an earthquake.

Trust me, when an earthquake hits the west coast, it is going to be complete devastation, and the finger-pointing will begin immediately. "Why didn't the government do more to prepare?" "Why didn't someone tell me living on the side of a mountain in an earthquake zone was a bad idea?" Etc. Comparatively speaking, Florida has more experience, and takes these storms more seriously. I actually thought the storm response was pretty good, considering the giant population centers down there.

It reminds me even more of our wildfires. I've had to evacuate a couple of times because of those, and the risk and damage is similar in a lot of ways.

 

[Emeraldtarpon]

Those photos are incredibly distressing to look at.
Going back to the nursery for the first time after the storm would be absolutely heart breaking.
I hope they didnt loose any really valuable trees. Starter stock can be replaced fairly easily but branches etc being broken off OLD trees would be horrendous.
Wish them a safe and speedy recovery.

 

[Srt8madness]

Uhh, if one took the time to really look at the pictures, none of the trees that tipped were more than 1' off the ground. Anything higher they clearly took down. In addition it looks like some of the trees left up were next to low spots. They no doubt had to choose potentially flooding with no access or potentially tipping over. Prepping for a hurricane takes a LOT of time and people have to evacuate too. Can't just prep right up until the storm.

I see a couple of the SeaHibiscus I've had my eye on...