[asianthree]

Isn’t one of the perks posted that living in the northern areas, pretty giant mature trees, compared to very few giants in the southern areas?

Trees are always great until they fall on your property or in this case your car.

[CoachKandSportsguy]

Originally Posted by Bassdeer

Yea it was his time to go, TV works like the mob, the cleaners came in and wiped the site, it's hard to tell where it even happened. Didn't see anything in the paper about it either (unless I missed it)

If a tree falls in the villages . . . . if nobody sees it, did it really happen?

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by CoachKandSportsguy

If a tree falls in the villages . . . . if nobody sees it, did it really happen?

Last year aftermath of hurricane winds in October, we counted 27 downed oaks, on our ride from 44 to Boosters.Plus the one that fell behind our house from the prairie. Yes it really happened even if you do not see it, and up to $10,000 to remove it from your private property.

My guess is this poor sole did see the tree fall, but His Family definitely knows the reality of it really did happen

[Altavia]

Took a bike ride on the MMP along that area this morning. Hopefully the safety of that section road is being assessed.

Observed along the 2 mile stretch of MBT, there are dozens, maybe hundreds of large, broken/ dead/ diseased trees at the forest edge within striking distance of the road. They are on Coleman USP property.

Many are leaning towards the road and some have large branches over the road.

Looks like the roots of those trees were disturbed when recently widening the road and adding drainage ditches increasing the likelihood for a tree falling.

When school is in session, traffic is often stalled /backed up bumper to bumper taking children to school on that section in the early morning.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by asianthree

Isn’t one of the perks posted that living in the northern areas, pretty giant mature trees, compared to very few giants in the southern areas?

Trees are always great until they fall on your property or in this case your car.

The problem is this tree was in the "southern area". Maybe with all the low, swampland and ponds the trees are more apt to tip over there from soft soil or rotting roots.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Aces4

The problem is this tree was in the "southern area". Maybe with all the low, swampland and ponds the trees are more apt to tip over there from soft soil or rotting roots.

The trees are on Coleman USP land that was built in 2001.

Eastport area was farm /ranchland for generations.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...036-post5.html

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by Altavia

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...036-post5.html

What does that have to do with this topic? From 466A south the area is populated with swampy areas and ponds. Can you find land that would be farmable and on which to park a truck? Sure. But by and large it is still a very swampy area. Let's just hope sinkholes don't develop in those new areas in great number.

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by Aces4

The problem is this tree was in the "southern area". Maybe with all the low, swampland and ponds the trees are more apt to tip over there from soft soil or rotting roots.

According to locals who grew up near area south of turnpike was cattle, and watermelon farms. Very few ponds or wet areas, trees were few, that were probably cleared out 50 plus years ago from rot. They agreed most Live oaks in the area probably over 100 years old. Spanish moss, causes issues eventually rot within. Prior to building not much wet prairie, except for areas that still remain untouched.

Our area is built around multiple preserves that are dry. That information comes from the locals who used to hunt between 44 and Turnpike for the last 50 years. Three different owners (mid 80s) told us they could run their airboats as kids near Lake Okahumpka Rec center. Then walk through the dry prairies to hunt, bear, boar, and rattlesnake, which is now St John’s and Richmond.

Our area is 10-12” higher than the prairie floor.

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by asianthree

According to locals who grew up near area south of turnpike was cattle, and watermelon farms. Very few ponds or wet areas, trees were few, that were probably cleared out 50 plus years ago from rot. They agreed most Live oaks in the area probably over 100 years old. Spanish moss, causes issues eventually rot within. Prior to building not much wet prairie, except for areas that still remain untouched.

Our area is built around multiple preserves that are dry. That information comes from the locals who used to hunt between 44 and Turnpike for the last 50 years. Three different owners (mid 80s) told us they could run their airboats as kids near Lake Okahumpka Rec center. Then walk through the dry prairies to hunt, bear, boar, and rattlesnake, which is now St John’s and Richmond.

Our area is 10-12” higher than the prairie floor.

From the map of Eastport, I think the sogginess of the area is notable. No one said it is all under water.. it's just very swampy and I'm sure much terra firma has been moved and manipulated for management.
https://www.thevillages.com/wp-conte...caled.jpg.webp

[asianthree]

Originally Posted by Aces4

From the map of Eastport, I think the sogginess of the area is notable. No one said it is all under water.. it's just very swampy and I'm sure much terra firma has been moved and manipulated for management.
https://www.thevillages.com/wp-conte...caled.jpg.webp

Most of the trees lost large limbs or half of the tree broken. Some were uprooted, but not as many as the damaged.

I never mentioned underwater. Locals used terminology of dry prairie, prairie (maybe few inches of water) and wet prairie that holds bodies of water more than 12” deep, great for racing airboats.
Apparently local kids play toys were homemade airboats.

Two of the guys grandparents sold their property south of the turnpike to developers, so my guess is native locals account could be more accurate than map on the net.
But I am just listening to accounts, an elder @80+ years old, his son 60, and grandson 35, born and raised on the land. They had to trailer their boats to wet land north of turnpike.
The third last week said their neighbor sold their cattle farm earlier in the year, that has been in their family over 100 years. So guess is their farm could be next.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Aces4

From the map of Eastport, I think the sogginess of the area is notable. No one said it is all under water.. it's just very swampy and I'm sure much terra firma has been moved and manipulated for management.
https://www.thevillages.com/wp-conte...caled.jpg.webp

LOL - That map is artistic, all the water was added by the developer for retention ponds. Go back and look at the historical satellite images referenced in my previous post.

The area north of what was 470 has been flat, dry farm and ranch land for several generation.

Land to be developed a few miles south of what was 470 towards the Turnpike is a different story.

[shut the front door]

Originally Posted by Rainger99

Does anyone know who owns the land where the tree was growing?

And was the tree rotten? Healthy trees don’t usually fall

It appears that in Florida,
landowners (private or municipal) can be liable if they knew or should have known about a tree’s dangerous condition and failed to take reasonable steps to mitigate the risk. This applies to trees on private property or in public rights-of-way.

A friend of mine back home lost her husband the exact same way. She was in the passenger seat and was uninjured. She also became a very rich woman.

[Tblue]

Quick reply here to #19. I also was on a bike riding along MBT coming north a day or so after the accident was all cleaned up. Did anyone notice it looked like the “rootball” of the tree was dragged across MBT being on the East side, the tree came from the West side. Just would have assumed the clean up would be to clear it off the road and maybe cut it all the way back at the root, but why drag it across MBT? Did anyone else notice this?

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by asianthree

Most of the trees lost large limbs or half of the tree broken. Some were uprooted, but not as many as the damaged.

I never mentioned underwater. Locals used terminology of dry prairie, prairie (maybe few inches of water) and wet prairie that holds bodies of water more than 12” deep, great for racing airboats.
Apparently local kids play toys were homemade airboats.

Two of the guys grandparents sold their property south of the turnpike to developers, so my guess is native locals account could be more accurate than map on the net.
But I am just listening to accounts, an elder @80+ years old, his son 60, and grandson 35, born and raised on the land. They had to trailer their boats to wet land north of turnpike.
The third last week said their neighbor sold their cattle farm earlier in the year, that has been in their family over 100 years. So guess is their farm could be next.

And I just looked at actual pictures, following the drone coverage provided by Goldwing during the time The Villages began looking and preparing south of 44 for development was a real eye opener for us. We also have the Eastport map, water is not being trucked in for any of those pictures.

[Marathon Man]

Originally Posted by Aces4

And I just looked at actual pictures, following the drone coverage provided by Goldwing during the time The Villages began looking and preparing south of 44 for development was a real eye opener for us. We also have the Eastport map, water is not being trucked in for any of those pictures.

Like Asianthree, I have talked to locals about the history of this area. None of them called it a swamp. It seems important to you to push that idea. May I ask why?