Gone with the wind

My mother-in-law has lived the 69 years of her life in the Chamonix valley, more precisely in our village of Les Bossons, and has never experienced anything like it!! Last night 180KM winds ripped through the valley causing substantial property/environmental damage but miraculiously no casualties.  This afternoon we took the boys to the lake just between our village and Chamonix town to see the damage suffered in the surrounding woods.  The place was littered by huge uprooted or snapped trees, apparently the woods the other side of town are in an even worse state.

Many of our neighbours are missing parts of their roofs, so we are counting ourselves lucky that the extent of our damage wasn't much worse that the garage storm door being ripped off and some of our garden furniture and my Spring Wreath getting 'shredded'!!
But as they say "It's an ill wind that blows no good" - my friend and neighbour Jane arrive home this morning to find that 6 very large trees had very thoughtfully fallen all around her house and not actually on it!! but as she pointed out she'll get alot more sunshine on her garden this year!! and I guess if she manages to chop it all up she be good until the next millenium for firewood!