Worried About a Tree? What to Look for Before It Falls

As gusty winds and heavy rain continue to pound the Bay Area, arborists say there are some signs that may give you advance warning before a tree falls.

“A tree with a heavy lean, weight on one side that’s excessive that would make it more prone to failure with wet soil,” certified arborist Larry Van Groningen said.

He said if you spot those problems, you should call a certified arborist to inspect the tree.

A tree in Marina Koorkoff’s backyard missed her Campbell home but landed on her RV, destroying it.

“It’s like you’re losing your little home with everything in there and the memories associated with that,” she said.

Less than a mile away, another tree came crashing down, slamming into the roof of a home, and those weren’t the only two.

In the past week, nine redwood trees came down in the same area, including one that crunched a car.

“It’s because their roots were cut too close to the base of the trunk, which removes the structural integrity of the tree,” Van Groningen said.

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