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It was just last week. June 19, 2024 started as a somewhat ordinary day at the Meekins Library. Yes, it was hot. And, though it was the Juneteenth holiday, the Meekins decided to open to offer a cool place of escape inside. Umbrellas on the patio and trees on the lawn also provided shade for chairs underneath. All was well.

Then—at 5:36 p.m.—the storm struck! Sideways whiteout rain. Extra loud thunder booms. Lightning bolts flashed. Powerful gusts of wind blowing and swirling. Trees bowed, benches blew, umbrellas, tables, and chairs banged about. And the noise—of driving rain, furniture crashing, groaning trees, breaking branches, tree trunks splitting, limbs falling, entire trees uprooting and the road blocked—all in a matter of minutes.

In the center of Williamsburg—Main Street, North Main Street, Village Hill, Valley View and more—all took storm hits. The wind carved a path and left a trail of carnage behind. Meekins lost its well-loved crabapple tree and the maple trees in front of the original 1896 building were besieged. Smaller trees all around lost branches. Anything movable moved.

By the next morning, the dedicated Williamsburg Highway Department crew had cleared away the large debris and salvaged what they could of the Meekins lawn sign. Thanks to everyone who came out to set the Meekins to right on storm night and on the subsequent days. We are so lucky to be part of this community.

While the grounds of the library will never look the same again, the Meekins is looking to the future and planning new plantings and furnishings that will continue to make the library lawn a welcoming community space. As the song says, “What a difference a day makes…”. Daria D’Arienzo, Meekins Archivist and photographer. #throwbackthursday; #tbt.

large tree branches and debris cover a sidewalk and part of a road after a storm, with buildings and traffic signs visible in the background.

Posted to Facebook 6/27/2024

a large fallen tree lies on the lawn in front of an old stone building under a cloudy sky.
a large tree has been uprooted, lying on a grassy lawn in front of a stone building with columns and potted plants.
a large tree branch has broken off and fallen across a sidewalk and grass near a street intersection on a cloudy day.
brick patio with several black metal chairs and tables, some toppled over, surrounded by green plants and trees next to a building with large windows.
wooden outdoor bench and potted plants on a stone patio next to a building, surrounded by grass, greenery, and a black metal fence.
a fallen tree branch lies across a stone bench surrounded by overgrown grass and vegetation in a garden or park setting.
stone public building with columns, wide steps, and tall windows, set on a grassy lawn with a clear blue sky and a few trees in the background.
a large leafy tree stands on a grassy area near a sidewalk, with a red building, parked cars, and a clear blue sky in the background.
a library sign reading "meekins library" lies on the ground next to two broken posts in front of a stone building with steps and potted plants.
a sign reading “meekins library” stands on a grassy area beside a tree lined sidewalk, with the library building and houses visible under a partly cloudy sky.
stone building and trees in the foreground with a cloudy sky tinged with pink from the setting sun in the background.