Check under the deck to ensure grass clippings haven't clogged it up. If you have thick, tall, wet grass this could happen pretty quickly (especially if you are mulching). You may want to bag or side discharge until you get your lawn under control. Start at the highest height setting and then work your way down.

So I got home and dug this sucker up. There were some very fine roots when I scraped away the mulch. I stuck my shovel in and made a wide circle around the plant and got it up. There was some of the original root ball, but when I went to cut some slits into it... most of it came off. Still going to soak it for maybe a half hour. The soil and rootball was actually fairly moist. The shovel cut through the soil pretty easily, although, the soil did seem pretty jam packed... uncertain if it is clay based. I've chopped the soil up to try to make it not one big clump and will not stomp it down like I did when I first planted it. I may mix in a little potting soil for added fluff. I do also have a pellet form of plant food for Rhodies and Azaleas, so I may sprinkle some of that in as well. Here's hoping. I just hope I didn't lose half of what roots there were when I pulled it up. :(

Only a few cacti have leaves, and Easter cactus is not one of them, it is the stem segments you are referring to. Yes, take a few cuttings. If the roots are lost, you will be better off with young segments as old, hardened segments at the base of the plant can be difficult to root. If they survive that is, root rot often causes the segments closest to the soil to die. Easter cacti are sensitive and will often drop segments if they are sick. If you find an Easter cactus puzzle on the floor one day (happened to me twice) you will automatically have a lot of cuttings. Otherwise cut off pieces of 1-3 segments with a sharp knife. Some people root them in water, other (like me) in damp sand or white moss or directly in potting compost. If you do not root them in water the cuttings should heal heal in a shaded spot for a week or so first. Red spots sometimes heal by themselves, but they can also be the result of a fungal disease that will kill the whole plant if untreated. Remove affected segments, just in case.

Hang in there...I suspect the crepe myrtles will bounce back. They are really a hardy tree and I wouldn't cut them just yet. I got two of the mini-crepe myrtles at Home Depot last fall. Put one in the ground and the other in a planter. They were both outside when the cold snap hit at Easter. I'm in Chesapeake, which may be further south than you but it got down to 32 degrees here. Both of my trees are leafing out now. Good luck...Vikki