Hurricane Sandy’s howling winds tore a limb from one of the most beloved members of Timothy Dwight College Monday afternoon, ripping down one of the upper branches from the massive ginkgo tree stationed in the TD courtyard.

Timothy Dwight Master Jeffrey Brenzel addressed the loss in a Monday evening email to the TD community, writing that he expects the ginkgo to survive.

Hope you are well. We’ve only had one projectile through a window so far, but I make that one and counting. The window has been taped. We are solidiering on.

So is our gingko. Cleanup, healing and reflections will come in due time. I think the gingko will prevail. It should prevail. It welcomed me as a freshman, already a mature and golden sentinel when I walked through the TD gate over forty years ago. I’ve got a stake in that tree, as does [TD] Dean [John] Loge, who has written lovingly and with relish about this friendly presence many times.

So to concentrate your supportive thoughts on our fellow traveler, and because I knew you’d simply like to have it as a proof that you were there, I am attaching down below the movie Yassmin Parsaei ['13] captured as she was simply observing the power of the wind. She has bleeped out, probably appropriately, her reaction in the moment. You can probably fill it in for yourself.

We wish the gingko a speedy recovery — winds are expected to reach up to 100 mph tonight. Stay safe, Yale.

You can watch the video below: