December 18th, 1990 was a day that saw the Northwestern United States fall dramatically into a deep freeze. As the cold air entered the Puget Sound basin it was preceded by the strongest northeasterly wind in many years. Old growth forests occupy the northeastern sides of hills, mountains and islands in the area, due to the protective quality of the topography against the usual southwestwerly weather. Because there had been very little done in the way of selective cutting methodically applied to these areas, tall and precarious old growth is abundant. Needless to say, devastation was everywhere that this uncommon and very strong wind set down. One area that got hit very hard was around Hansville, on the northeast corner of the Kitsap Peninsula. Winds from the northeast get a chance to accelerate across the water directly at Hansville.
Deep in old growth forest, amongst conventional homes, Joan Rawson lived in an IHC cedar home. Joan built her home in 1980 using the IHC 4×8 timbers. This set the stage for something dramatic. Yes, a very large tree fell on Joan’s house! As the wind grew stronger and stronger, the tree thirty feet to the northeast of the house, which had a trunk about six to seven feet in diameter at the base, began to make noises like it was ready to go. All around, trees were crashing throughout the forest. Conventional houses were collapsing under the weight of smaller diameter trees. Joan gathered the inhabitants of her home into the southeast corner of the living room. It was just in time!
The tree broke and fell toward the peak on the gable end of the house. It hit the wall with a loud thud! The house began to move in unison as the tree came to its resting place on the roof. With total expectation that this was it, Joan watched as the movement came to an end. The house was still standing, sheltering them from this horrendous storm.
The storm began to decrease and move on. Joan and her house mates took up refuge in a nearby house as the tree towered over their home in a precarious manner. In assessment, the house was racked out of plumb some three inches while the weight of the tree was on it. This made it difficult, if not impossible to open doors and windows. After the storm had completely passed, Joan hired a boom crane and logging crew to remove the tree. Over forty tons of tree came off the house!
The house flexed back to its original position with no visible damage except for the roof overhang. Doors opened and not one window was broken. Not even the one that came within a foot of the tree!