Sorry about it, but nothing you could do against the forces of nature...
...and yes, I'm a subscriber to a fatalism doctrine ... after the fact :-))

re: rooting.
This time of the year perharps is the end of the [outdoor] rooting season for your zone. Since you have long branches available as a cutting material you should make a several cuttings from the branch, then plant them all in a same pot. Some may die, but some should root.
Good luck.

Thank you George ... goes with the territory right? ... just as the ephemeral wonders, of the nature of gardening, bring joy!!! Â;)

The cane is about 2.5cm thick, I counted 4 nodes to the V node w/ 2 shorter branches & finials, the 2nd V, as well has 2 branches w/ panicles ... I realize the shortness of time left. Do I bring the pot to the basement, or will the unheated, garage do? I'm using potting soil mix in a large pot, right? Do I need to scratch the (to be rooted) ends before dipping in rooting hormone? ... I'm listening carefully!!! Â;)

Many TIA

Oh no, Ditas, I am so sorry to hear this! Looking on the brighter side, I am glad that you did not have any more serious damage to your property and to your lovely plants than this! It could have been much worse... I am sure that Princess Kyu will have recovered nicely by next season, and no permanent damage will be done.

We also had a very severe storm here this afternoon. Suddenly, the sky turned dark and it looked like we had a HURRICANE out there. The rain and the wind were so bad that at one point, visibility was close to ZERO. It was terrifying. There were flash floods, trees were down, power was out in some areas. I was so worried that I called my neighbor from work, just to check that there was no damage to my house. Thankfully, there was none. Just like what you said, miraculously, the H. Paniculatas all stood tall and firm, as if nothing much had happened! This included the 6 foot tall Limelight! I was very impressed.

Anyway, Ditas, I hope that this is the last severe storm that we will both see this summer!

Hi Ostrich - thank you so much for the sympathies!!! Â;) I just now, came in from rescuing what I could ... I shouldn't have asked my hubby to help push up the huge tangled branch that I just mended (had a small, slight split) ... he didn't realize how brittle the canes are ... so there went the largest center cane bearing tons of blossoms!!! Â:((( & tears!

I am getting good at weaving a web ... must be related to 'Charlotte' LOL !!! I was able to pull up straight, one of the other taller center canes, with a loop & wove thru to make the top, not so, bald looking. This time I sent Hubby in & did all the cosmetic weaving alone! It's a good thing I'm only 4'10", working under the tangled mass, of lovely clusters, would have been a real purgatory!!! I also had to bundle loosely, Tardiva1's central canes, as they were splaying some, T2 did OK as I've anchored him after the last one ... panicles are getting heavy for the seeds!

As expected Li'l L splayed some from the wt of the water held by the full panicles ... the network of nylons I wove last storm, held fairly well this time!!! Â;) I left the 2 huge branches soaking in a bucket, to deal with them tomorrow (try to root, I mean) if I can get another plant from those branches for my grand-dau to take home, it'll be a joy!!!

July was awfully quiet here, I think it may just be a late storm season this year ... but I'll keep fingers crossed along with you!!! Isn't it amazing how the blossoms stay on thru all the whipping & swirling ... I can just imagine the dance P Kyu performed to break her limbs!!! LOL

Again, many thanks for your kind thoughts! Â;)

Mission accomplished!!! Â;) I hope that leaving the 2 branches soaked in water overnite was OK before attempting to set, in huge pots of potting mix (dipped in rooting hormone).

I read somewhere here ... when trying to propagate, choose a stem with bloom, trimming off leaves from a few nodes. I prep'd 2 huge pots with several cuttings each ... sinking 4 with blossoms ... is that not a good idea, should I clip off the clusters?

It was sad to see, a huge (2nd) cane with a dozen+ 11"-12" panicles already heavy w/ seeds (maturing fertile florets) broken off the top of P' Kyushu's head. The woody cane measured at 5cm thick w/ several woody, secondary canes.

If cuttings root, it would be wonderful to share w/ garden friends who've come to admire this beautiful tree!

Sorry to bring this thread back up as but it happened again ~ our very first snowfall was less but very similar but to early snow-fall to our North-Eastern section ~ thick/heavy/wet.

I found my same Kyushu tree w/ many broken branches in the AM ~ 2 thicker ones were still partly attached that I decided to bind w/ fabric strips. I've done this before for my Pee Wee Oakleaf H & succeeded. I was advised then by a master gardener to pour sugar around the drip line & water as usual ~ it was Spring then!

Could I still apply the same efforts this Fall considering opposite season ~ our temps are vacillating between low 30s & 50s. TIA for your thoughts!!!

BTW I intend to give up on enjoying the dried bloom-clusters gamboling in the breeze to avoid another heat breaking happenstances over Winter!

BTW #2 the branch I sank in a pot in 2009 has rooted & this past Spring moved to the ground grew by leaps & bloomed ~ she'll be moved to a more permanent site along the fence as a screen, in Spring!!!

Happy o report FWIW!