Trees damaged at Altoona’s Grandview Cemetery
Strong winds in storm topple trees, tear off branches, dislodging dozens of memorials
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The storm Tuesday evening that caused widespread damage in the region toppled 11 trees in Grandview Cemetery in Logan Township and tore off branches on a couple dozen others -- in turn dislodging 40 to 50 gravestones.
The pattern of damage suggests that a tornado came through, according to cemetery owner Bill Forsht.
"Explain that to me" how it wasn't a tornado, he said Thursday afternoon.
He has had prior experience with wind shear at the cemetery, and that laid trees straight down -- in contrast to the "twisted" and "shredded" trees left by Tuesday's storm.
Despite Forsht's impression, there were no credible reports on the storm received by the State College office of the National Weather Service, a meteorologist from that office told the Mirror Wednesday.
Tuesday's damaging wind at the cemetery moved from west to east, starting below the veterans circle at the top of the sloping cemetery, passing over the circle and dropping down toward Grandview Road, leaving a straight, 350-yard path, Forsht said.
He first saw the damage immediately after the storm, when he went out from his house just across the road "to see what I was dealing with," he said.
"I was absolutely shocked," he said.
Created in 1905, the cemetery has been in his family for nearly 100 years, starting with his grandfather, John Forsht Sr.
Forsht and two workers have begun the recovery work and he is planning a "cleanup party" starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.
He's expecting at least two dozen volunteers and will receive help from a local tree service and a local memorial company, he said.
The tree service will bring two crane trucks and a crew that will cut down the trees that are too heavily damaged to save, while setting up a wood chipper for branches.
The memorial company crew will reset the already dislodged gravestones and other stones that are likely to be displaced by the cleanup work.
Volunteers will drag branches to the roadside for placement in the chipper.
The work will go on as long as necessary, Forsht said.
It's possible that it will need to be finished on Sunday, he said.
Afterward, there will be piles of firewood that would become available to people who want it, Forsht said.
A message on Facebook led to the volunteer commitments.
"There are good people out there," Forsht said.
He is waiting on an insurance adjuster to view the property.
He's covered for damage caused by trees that fall, he said, adding that he's hoping that insurance payouts will enable him to reimburse the professional help.
The trees that were destroyed or damaged in the storm are maples and sycamores.
He is hoping to plant replacement trees, perhaps with the help of sponsorships.
The flag on a tall pole in the veterans section was torn up and is expected to be replaced.
A local family has offered to buy the cemetery a new flag, according to Forsht.
The wind was blowing at perhaps 70 mph, Forsht estimated.
Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-946-7038.