Lightning strikes two trees in the Wren Yard
The booming
thunderstorm that swept through Williamsburg last week claimed a sweetgum and
red oak tree in the College’s Wren Yard. Crews began removing the trees
Thursday.
The trees were struck by lightning about 4:30 p.m. July 6, said Dave Shepard, associate vice president for facilities management. One strike cleaved the sweetgum, standing more than 75-feet-tall, down to the trunk. A few feet away, lightning claimed the red oak tree. Both trees were near the “College Corner” side of the Wren Yard. The College’s arborist has inspected the trees and determined they will not survive and have to be removed for safety concerns, he said.
The Wren Yard connects William & Mary’s campus with Duke of Gloucester Street and is home to the historic Wren Building, the Brafferton and the President’s House.
