Trees take out pickup twice

Recent storms have packed a one-two punch for one Shawano resident.

Three weeks ago, Will Rankin was eating breakfast at his home at 304 W. Richmond, Shawano, when he watched a storm blow through, taking down an oak tree on his property, which took out his 2019 Dodge Ram pickup truck.

He took the truck to the body shop, cut the tree down to a stump, and chalked it up to one of those things that happens.

But sometimes, “one of those things” happens again.

On July 5, after $1,700 worth of body work, the truck was again in the Rankin driveway when a gust from a localized thunderstorm took down a massive limb from the tree next to the oak stump, and it fell squarely on the pickup.

As he surveyed the damage, Rankin noted that this time, the damage may take longer to repair. The tree missed the house and garage as well as a Jeep parked alongside the pickup. The pickup received the brunt of the fall.

He had been able to enjoy his newly-restored truck for all of 10 days.

The localized storm also brought down branches throughout the neighborhood on Shawano’s southwest side, including branches on power lines.

By late in the afternoon, Rankin had freed the pickup from the tangle of branches that covered it, and was removing the damaged branches with the help of friends and neighbors.