Outlawed in Boulder?
Someone alert the Pulitzer committee, because the Boulder Daily Camera has blown the lid on the devastating effect of lightening on trees, with fiery, in-depth journalism most newspapers would just waste on issues like government waste.
The lead story on the website yesterday, “Kaboom! Lightning Strips Bark from Tree” told the horrifying story of how lightning struck a tree and the noise was LOUD.
Not only did they interview the homeowner whose tree was struck , but the intrepid reporter tracked down another neighbor 10 blocks away who also heard. it, and nailed the story with this quote:
“There was a flash and then ‘KABOOM! It sounded like a cannon went off.”
Not content to just take the word of witnesses, the reporter also tracked down experts to weigh in.
Kyle Fredin with the National Weather Service in Boulder said it’s not uncommon to see such lightning-generating storms this time of year.
“It’s to be expected,” Fredin said.
Riveting journalism.
Boulder City Forester Kathleen Alexander was also interviewed, who said that no “public trees” were struck by lightning during the storm. We suppose it’’s possible that an irresponsible citizen or public official just failed to report the lightning. The journalist failed to disclose whether there was actually a law in Boulder that required the reporting of lightning damaged trees, or at least if such a law is needed.
Sadly, the city forester said, “it is possible the strike will ultimately kill the tree.”
“It really depends on the individual tree and the lightning strike.”
Having discovered that lightning can kill trees, we expect Boulder residents to organize protests against Mother Nature for the wanton destruction, and local officials there to write a new law creating safe zones for trees and banning lightning from encroaching on those zones, as well as noise ordinances ordering Mother Nature to keep down the racket.
Because, Boulder.