)On 26 December 1999, Hurricane Lothar hit the northern half of France, wreaking havoc to forests, parks and buildings.The Forest of Rambouillet lost hundreds of thousands of trees, and among the over five thousand downed trees in the park of Rambouillet, was the handsome, historical "Allée de Cyprès chauves de Louisiane", the bald cypress avenue planted in 1810.