| Dr.
David Bransby, Auburn University |
In
September 2004, Hurricane Ivan pounded into the United
States at Pensacola, Florida.
Following landfall, the hurricane maintained unusually
high strength as it forced its way into southern Alabama,
with sustained winds of 125 mph and gusts up to 170 mph.
Damage to homes, farm buildings, roads, crops and forest
farms was devastating, but a farm of Nile Fiber™ survived with zero damage.
A photographic account follows. All photographs were taken
on the same farm. |
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A
farm shed totally destroyed by Ivan.
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Enormous
trees were uprooted.
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Pine
trees were uprooted, twisted and snapped off well above
ground.
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Damage
to forest stands was estimated at over half a billion
dollars.
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Forest
landowners scrambled to salvage as much of the damaged
wood as possible before the rot set in.
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Most
of the cotton crop was on the ground, and therefore
totally spoiled.
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A
stand of Nile Fiber™ adjacent to, and on the windward side
of the destroyed pine farm, but showing zero damage.
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Further
evidence of no damage to the Nile Fiber™ stand.
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A
stand of corn and velvet bean in the foreground, flattened
by the hurricane, but undamaged Nile Fiber™ in the background.
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