TEMPE, Ariz. — A devastating microburst in Tempe last month took down hundreds of trees. Now, one Phoenix craftsman is giving that destruction a second life.

Bill Hemphill runs Wine Glass Bar Sawmill near Sky Harbor Airport, where he turns fallen trees into custom wood slabs and furniture.

“The way that desert trees grow, there’s so much character in the grain, so much pattern,” Hemphill said.

When he cuts into a log, he says each one tells a story.

“When we get inside of here and this big knot, it’s just going to— the movement,” he said. “It’s not going to be your typical walnut straight grain. It’s going to have movement.”

Hemphill’s yard is now stacked high with logs salvaged from the Tempe storm.

“Those are the Tempe storm logs,” he said. “We got at least 150 right over here, may

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