RADFORD – Sunday’s severe thunderstorm brought high winds and heavy rain to the City of Radford, knocking out power for residents in sections of both the east and west ends of the city and sending city electric crews into the inclement weather throughout the entire night and into Monday.
The storm also destroyed an impressive old tree on the Radford University campus, which in 2019 was named a national champion tree by American Forests magazine’s Champion Trees national register.
The white basswood was located at the north end of Jefferson Hall, facing McConnell Library and the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences Building. According to an article written by Chad Osborne of Radford University at the time, “Champion trees are the biggest of their species, as reported to American Forests, a conservancy organization that works to protect and restore forest ecosystems.”
