High Winds in DC Topple National Christmas Tree
- Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:38pm by
Meredith Jessup
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The nation’s capital has been pummeled by high winds for the past two days. On Saturday, the winds had taken their toll on the National Christmas Tree, reportedly snapping the tree at its base. The famous tree is planted on the Ellipse, an area located between the White House and the Washington Monument:
2010 Christmas Tree Lighting (Image: National Park Foundation)
(Image: CNN)
via CNN:
The nation’s most energy-efficient National Christmas Tree doesn’t appear to be the nation’s most energy-resistant one. The 42-foot tall Colorado blue spruce snapped at its base Saturday morning in Washington.
While the cause of the tree toppling is yet unknown, the National Weather Service issued a “High Wind Warning” for the DC area Saturday noting that, “heavy wind gusts between 25 and 60 mph” were expected and supposed to be at their strongest right around the time a tipster told CNN the tree was downed.
The first lighting ceremony was hosted in 1923 by President Calvin Coolidge. The 2010 lighting ceremony marked the tree’s 85th anniversary.
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Comments (118)
JP4JOY
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 7:05pmMaybe it has something to do with our not being a christian nation?
Report Post »Marylou7
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:44pmThat is a shame, such a beautiful tree.
Report Post »right-wing-waco
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:57amI agree. It had been there a long time and was part of Americas’ capitol.
Report Post »WPtG
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:44pmI hope none of the Mao Tse-tung ornaments were broken. That would be tragic.
Report Post »LAM2
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 7:08pmYou beat me to it, WPTG. Perhaps Anita Dunn could lend them some of hers.
Report Post »Eternal Lucy
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:40pmHow symbolic!
Report Post »streetrodder
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:28pmWith all the Bull Crap in DC that tree should have been well fertilized. This should’nt have happened.
Report Post »Salamander
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 7:10pmHey, Streetrider! Great comment! Maybe, all the BullCrap was mixed with some diesel fuel and the National Christmas Ornament went BOOM before it fell over???
Report Post »Glenn is my hero
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:27pmJust another sign from God Almighty. Just like the Presidential seal falling off the podium.
Report Post »oldchevyguy
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:21pmSure looks like the tree was cut down.The horizontal cut looks like it went through about 3/4 of the way.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:20pmThe Twelfth Imam IS HERE!
Report Post »NHABE64
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:07pmPerhaps that is God letting Barack Hussein Obama know he may be the next to be toppled ? Ha! Ha! Barry is doing down and Aunt Jemima along with him.
Report Post »Greg8812
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:06pmI think Marion Barry had something to do with it. The Bitch set him up you know
Report Post »Socco
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:05pmFor those not supernaturally blinded by God, yet another sign;
Jer 10:1 Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:
Jer 10:2 Thus saith the LORD, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.
Jer 10:3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.
Jer 10:4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.
Jer 10:5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.
Jer 10:6 Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O LORD; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.
Report Post »NancyBee
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 12:30amOh yes…it is a sign!
Report Post »awizard
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:04pm“It‘s Bush’s fault !.. (just had to throw that in there Heh,heh)
Report Post »Jupitor
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 7:04pmObama did inherit the tree from Bush after all.
Report Post »tonyedward
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:03pmIt’s definitely a sign.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:55amI wonder if BARRY got the message.
Report Post »OHFORPETESSAKE
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:02pmTree Czar for sure SNOW.
Report Post »There will undoubtedly be a proclamation that no one shall have a Christmas tree, lest it too take a face plant toward Mecca.
Ashley
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:02pmEven the National Christmas Tree was afftect by the ill wind blowing in Washington by this administration. Agree, expect a Christmas Czar to appear soon.
Report Post »awizard
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:02pmIt’s a sign from Santa Claus; Christmas was real close to two months ago … Take it down already!..
Oh but wait, some of those folks down there don’t pay much attention to Christmas … sorry, I forgot …
Report Post »OHFORPETESSAKE
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:56pmYou will be forgiven CNSRVTVJ.
Report Post »I often fall short in the civility department myself.
AMERICA-URANTIA
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:56pmI heard obama received a chainsaw for Christmas, but I thought it was for cutting arugula…
Report Post »spirited
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:59pmSomeone will probably blame Beck.
Report Post »integrican
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:07pmIf you look closely there does appear to be a very clean cut parallel to the ground. ???HMMMM???
Report Post »OHFORPETESSAKE
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:08pmSomeone should have told him it was for nose hair.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:21pmNasty, nasty……but oh so true!
Report Post »spirited
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:54pmThe tree falling ‘naturally’
was a money saver
and a job killer!
;$^>chagrined
Report Post »1TrueOne55
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:09pmNope it will create 3 jobs to clean it up. Why only three? They have to pay Union Wages that means only three can be hired for the rate of time it takes to chip that tree for mulch in the White House Vegetable Garden…
Report Post »shorthanded12
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 8:11pmNo Barry will appoint a Tree Cleaning Up Commision, By the time the commision will complete its study as to why the tree fell and the cost to clean it up the tree will have rotted and become compost, yet in next months job report Barry and Joe will have claimed it created 100 jobs to the tune of $200,000 per job.
Report Post »OHFORPETESSAKE
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:49pmDid it fall in the direction of Mecca?
Report Post »shorthanded12
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 7:53pmits 6618 air miles from Dc to Mecca…lol
Report Post »shorthanded12
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 8:27pmOMG I seen it all on Google now. Just horsing around I googled the following “distance from Kaaba to the White House” And Lord and behold on the same google page came up “Official Obama Website” Dayum Barry paid Google well to put his links everywhere.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:48pmMaybe Obama will remember George Washington, now that he can see the Washington Memorial.
Bet that galls him in his gut.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:26pmMonument.
Report Post »Showtime
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:47pmMust have been blown over by all the hot air in D.C.
Those ol’ boys need to watch out about global warming!
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahaha!
Report Post »stinkybisquit
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:26pmI was thinking close to those lines, about Washington being toppled by blowhards.
Report Post »Its Gonna Getcha
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:46pmIt’s a sign.
Report Post »spirited
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:58pmFirst a burning bush
>now a broken tree
Report Post »integrican
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:44pmWOW! It really “blows” in DC these days.
Report Post »Watch for a crescent shaped row of hedges to replace it.
taskmaster78
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:51pmmore like armies of termites. This tree was sabotaged. Who might be the culprit????? anti tree people I’d suspect.
Report Post »J.C. McGlynn
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:02pmTo T.M.78: I don’t think it was termites. They usually go after dead wood and this one looked healthy.
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:29pmThe wind blows in DC because the occupant in the WH sucks
Report Post »pugsly84
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:52pmAl gore just called and said this is the result of global warming
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:53pm85 is old enough. No money in Obummers National Park Service budget. His Christmas Tree Death Panel said it had to go. They are going to put a well where the tree was. The 12th Imam will be crawling out of it, and then , Look out
Report Post »lillianrose
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 8:07pmFrom what I can see in the picture, I suspect there was help in its coming down. I see a a partial straight line, love to see a close up of the truck. The tree represents a belief that not all agree with and considering a statement and actions made by the one sitting in the WH, .nothing would surprise me.
Report Post »starman70
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:51amOh my, they left the windows of the Senate chamber open. Tho outrush of hot air caused this disaster.
Report Post »GrannyATL
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:55amLillianrose, I agree. There is a straight line in the left side of that remaining trunk. Nature doesn’t topple trees like that. Someone helped.
Wonder who….
Report Post »OHFORPETESSAKE
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:42pmAnd Barry was under it???
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:45pmPalin did it !
Report Post »cnsrvtvj
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:46pmUnfortunately not ohforpetessake, and that’s all I wanted for Christmas. Lol. I guess you can’t always get what you want. That was probably mean……oh well.
http://www.donsmithshow.com – see the lesson in civility video
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:46pmNope the devils own luck protecting his own offspring; now Obama will probably demand we have a new ‘tree czar’ or something who will impose all manner of restrictions and regulations upon the world of christmas time, how many and what kind of presents each kid can have, and so forth.
What else would be new with the administration?
Report Post »taskmaster78
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:48pmlack the Christmas spirit.
Report Post »DagneyT
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:52pmWhat’s it still doing up in February?
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 5:52pmWhile the cause of the tree toppling is yet unknown
Report Post »——
But I can guess
:D
and its not the wind
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:00pmAnyone want to guess how long until someone calls out ‘Global Warming’ as the cause?
Report Post »YellowFin
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:03pmOh well.
Report Post »DashRipRock
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:05pm” Hey Joe, pull my finger…”
Report Post »LOOKING_BOTH_WAYS
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:22pm@ DagneyT
It was GROWING there …. did you read the story ?
Report Post »My Two Cents
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 6:38pmThe tree was planted while Jimmy Carter was in office and it blows down while Barack Obama is President. Poetic justice or a message from above?
Report Post »CatB
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 7:10pmProbably all that peeing on it by the progressives weakened the tree …. they had it confused with the Liberty Tree ….TEA!
Not to worry Christians know what to do … plant another tree!
Report Post »Cheekymnky2
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 7:37pmGeorge Bush and Dick Cheney were spotted running across the Mall after the tree fell down.
Report Post »shorthanded12
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 7:46pmIt came from a LIBERAL state what do ya expect?????????????
Report Post »exdem
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 7:47pmSign from God.
Report Post »Drippy Fawcett
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 8:02pmSo what? It’s a frickin tree. They can grow a new on.
Report Post »It’d be interesting to see what the Park Service does with the wood.
They’ll probably buck it up and have it hauled to the dump.
mcfinch
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 8:43pmYeah I can’t wait to hear what the libs have to saw about this.
http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos
Report Post »John 1776
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 9:21pmProbably weakened by some yet unknown radiation emitted by the LED lights that were on it. Blame it on Al Gore! ….. Just saying….
Either that, or as a Christian symbol, it no longer felt welcome so it died.
Report Post »912828Buckeye
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 9:41pmAll that wind…I say put up a wind mill and
Report Post »hang lights on it. Now that’s self reliance.
bigbear_awake
Posted on February 19, 2011 at 9:45pmwere there any birds around???
Report Post »GhostOfJefferson
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 1:51amWait…that thing was still up? We take our lights down before 1/1. Most people do. It’s almost March and the national one is still up? Really?
Report Post »walkwithme1966
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 2:35amWow, that must have been some wind storm!! And it was such a beautiful tree – http://wp.me/pYLB7-Eh
Report Post »tower7femacamp
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 7:45amreplace it with a stone owl and name it Molech ?
Report Post »Highland
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 8:17amHe’ll replace it with an Eid or Ramadan tree.
Report Post »right-wing-waco
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 10:52amMaybe it was a sign from God. Or maybe a dark skinned Muslim chopped it down in the cover of night?
Report Post »right-wing-waco
Posted on February 20, 2011 at 11:00am@ DagneyT
“What’s it still doing up in February?”
Best laugh I’ve had all week. Touche’
Report Post »Jackers
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 7:49amWhat a joke! First that little rodent scurrying in front and across Obama’s podium during his presser, then the Oval Office sign falling off the podium during another presser, and now this Christmas tree toppling over… What could it possibly mean?
Report Post »AProudConservative
Posted on February 21, 2011 at 11:37amHalaburton did it on orders from Cheney
Report Post »