Nature took charge on Sunday afternoon. On the prairie, trees are the tallest item and attractive to lightning. In the forest, trees give the semblance of safety. Tents give a semblance of safety. Having a canoe overhead gives a semblance of safety.
None is a guarantee.
In some places piles of fallen trees are reported to be chest high. The BWCA is open and canoers are arriving. Officials are grappling with whether or not to use chainsaws or handsaws for the clean-up. All of us will find an altered BWCA in months and years to come.