im wondering about the crazy stone patio .... and about the tree looking telephone poled .... and what would happen to the patio.. if the tree fell over ??? the bark may have lightened due to increased sun since pruning.. normal and irrelevant ... ALL evergreen plants shed needles.. its basically cyclical ... according to the plant ... and also ... as it probably is in this case.. increased due to stress .... not to mention increased sun on parts were newly exposed to sun due to the injury and pruning .... if you note as fall progresses ... around town.. you might notice it happening on various pine trees ... with varying degrees .... there is only one thing you can do about it ... and that is focus on the growth tips.. and if those are properly green.. and look OK .. then you are all set for next year ... if the tree trunk was buried significantly.. when ever the patio was built.... the tree is probably dying in tree time.. and removal is probably the only option ... but counting in tree time .. decades.. this might happen a decade from now .. who knows .... again ... there is little you can do about the tree .. and the decision might be more about the patio ... and its possible destruction .... this MIGHT all happen in very slow motion ... and i am addressing a consideration ... i do not mean to make you flip out and worry about it .. its not like its leaning over the house ... ken

The good news is that most if not all of your hostas will survive, the bad news is that for this year they are going to look somewhat the worse for wear. The ones that were flattened to the ground will mostly stand right back up in a couple of days, the resilience of hostas is amazing. Be sure you leave all the stems and leaves in place, they may look terrible, but are still going to provide nourishment to the plants. In a few weeks you can do some judicious trimming as needed. You will probably have higher light levels in some spots, so keep an eye on plants that may need additional watering.

The premise and title of the linked article relate to "evacuation being impossible". I haven't heard of any such reports but do you know, were any of the fatalities people who died while complying in a timely manner with evacuation orders? "Government culpability", to the extent there is any, isn't responsible for weather phenomena. It would be a challenge to name many, if any, states or local governmental entities to hold up as examples of high-level performance and achievement. In the end, the effectiveness of laws and policies depend on the actions of competence of elected officials, to enact needed laws, and the work of governmental employees to carry out their needed functions. Not enough of them are as capable as their jobs require. I think everywhere has examples of government dysfunctionality leaving people without infrastructure and services they expect and need. It's certainly true where I live. At other times, the forces of natural phenomena create problems beyond what may have been expected. (Remember the Loma Prieta Earthquake in 1989? A whole section of the top level of the two decker Bay Bridge broke off at one spot, sending moving vehicles to the deck below and causing a few fatalities as I recall. Nearby, an entire raised freeway collapsed, killing over 40 people. Were these avoidable?) At times like this, it needlessly makes people vulnerable in ways that could have been avoided. It's too bad but it is reality.

Maryl and Celeste - Thanks for your concern. The tornado here struck just 5 miles away - too close for comfort. But I haven't seen any major storm damage in my neighborhood. Saturday evening was very scary, and the cat and I spent some time hunkering down in our interior room. All told, there were 13 tornado touch-downs in Middle Tennessee. Debra