Actually, the dust (driveway) bit the Catalpa. Catalpa wood isn’t strong, and this one shattered when it hit. The day, Wed., 2/11, brought high winds(gusting up to 40 mph), and a short but heavy storm. This is always a bad recipe for old trees. The ground gets saturated, the wind blows, and the roots come out. Much of our 1/2 mile front avenue was once bordered by Catalpas, now probably 100 years old. A wind shear a few years back took out 5 in close proximity to each other, and other storms have claimed a few more. The most recent fall was right beside the original large group that was taken out, the next tree to the north.
This view shows how the trunk shattered on impact.
Here’s a view from the south. (This is for Lydia and Sarah, by the way).
Our neighbor, Paul Hornback, who farms part of our land, came with one of his monster tractors to saw it in half, and push the halves out of the way.