Swirl of Mini-tornado Takes Internet Tower for a Spin
“It wasn’t just the wind. It was like a mini-tornado,” said tower owner Robert Stock. “Our security cameras caught the tower blowing over and then to the west 20 feet and then to the east about 30 feet. It was bent back and forth while part of it lay on the ground.”
The storm, which bent the tower halfway up, blew through in the wee hours of a Monday morning, and Stock brought in a crane to lower the top section to the ground for repairs. The tower weathered the storm pretty well. Only four of the 12 sections had to be replaced. The antennas were smashed. New antenna parts, including the Internet antenna, were found locally, shipped and attached on Tuesday. The tower was back on the air by Wednesday. The only thing that slowed him down was not being able to order the new parts over the Internet.
The timing of the storm could not have been more inauspicious. Only one day before, the tower had received an overhaul to reduce interference. The new equipment lasted only 24 hours. Stock says the second replacement is more powerful and his signal is stronger than ever. The tower serves seven businesses in Greenbelt Business Park and a dozen more in the area.
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