Too sad

After the enormous shock from seeing the loss of trees in Brand Park, both here and the picnic area, I was beginning to prepare myself for the river side of the levee.
 Devastation.
 Five little, four little, three little lindens left standing.  Keep in mind that these trees are well over one hundred years old.  All told, I would venture to say that one third of all the trees in the Brand Park area came down when the Southside tornado hit. 

That's right.  Three tornados touched down, one on the North Side--I got caught in my car there, one on the South Side--and one way out in Golden Glow, far west of West Elmira the town.  The rest of the damage was caused by the way the tornados rushed down through the Chemung River Valley, creating windstorms that blew right down the river. 
 Our flood control saves us once again, and the Chemung goes low, just in time for the customary August drought.  Here is the Chase Hibbard Dam with the Don Hall Portage center left.  Again note the buoys--I think they are buoys, although I may be wrong--to warn of the submerged (usually) dam.
 Finally, a LOL moment.  I can't tell what it actually was, but it looks like someone plunked a skating surface or a helipad right in the north channel of the Chemung in Downtown Elmira!