Pierson never finished milking. The storm destroyed the barn, ending the evening's work and his milking days for good. The hectic aftermath of the storm became one long chain of events, but somewhere in there, Pierson made a critical decision. That's right, on Monday. So that was the end of the milking career.
Many hard decisions lie ahead for farmers in the storm zone.
Rebuilding milk barns is an expensive decision, several hundred thousand dollars worth, maybe a million. Even farmers who escaped a direct hit are affected. The storm deposited debris over a wide area. Sheet metal from grain bins, insulation, trees, lumber can puncture tires or jam expensive farm equipment. They' re going to be releasing their students for a day or so to assist with the cleanup, much as they did with the sandbagging during our flood last year.