A tree almost crushed me.

[zoomzoom]

Strong storms came through on Monday. I was sitting in my building, just inside the door watching the storm.

Then a crash. A 20"+ diameter tree fell on my roof. Where it came through, I was just a few feet away. The roof over me bent hard but held but in a straight line behind me, the tree came through the roof, headers, trusses... Just missed me. The top of the tree came over the roof and crashed at my feet. Missed my car by about 3'.

That wasn't the only tree. I had multiple trees down all over the place.

Immediately went to work to mitigate any more damage. Also called insurance and restoration companies.
Before the day ended, I had all belongings under that roof removed, the tree topped to reduce weight and plans with insurance and restoration companies.

Within 24 hours of the incident:
Had a tree company & a crane company come in to get the tree off the roof.
Got this tree and 3 others topped off, all brush chipped and/or removed and all the wood bucked. The 3 other trees my son and I did. Once the tree that hit my building was on the ground, my son and I took care of that one as well (insurance only pays to get the tree off the building and onto the ground).
Had the restoration company in to put up temporary rafters, headers and tarp the roof.
Got the stump removed and hauled away. This one was also done without the tree service.

This was all done in 90+ degree temps. Supposed to be 95 degrees today. I think I may just rest as I'm really worn out.

 

[old tex]

Damn & I thought I had tree problems! Mine are just limbs to deal with.

 

[Magus]

You dodged a big bullet there!

 

[Snowman]

We can Re-build it, We can Make it Stronger, We can Make it Better...!!! Glad You OK...!!

 

[Morgan101]

You were very lucky. My wife worked with a young woman who was crushed in her car during a storm. She lived, but was a parapalegic restricted to a wheel chair. The ultimate wrong place wrong time. Very sad.

Say a prayer of thanks.

 

[lonewolf]

there was a tree near your house and you didnt remove it?

 

[zoomzoom]

there was a tree near your house and you didnt remove it?

That isn't my house, it's one of my buildings/shops.

 

[d_marsh]

Darn it, I was this close to taking you out and collecting that life insurance plan I took out on you. And to think I spent months making small cut after small cut into that tree.

 

[Tirediron]

there was a tree near your house and you didnt remove it?

you aren't supposed to say stuff like that out loud, I mean type

 

[Weedygarden]

Wow, @zoomzoom ! That had to be very scary!

Insurance is going to make some improvements for you now.

I've told about having a hollow maple tree in my yard. It was hollow and I could go inside the trunk. I had it removed because I always feared that it would fall over in some storm, whether wind, or snow.

Then there was a big snow storm, and I heard that more than 200 homes were destroyed by falling trees. The challenge is this: many people are more than happy to underinsure their property because it means less payment for the insurance. What happens though is that the insurance will only compensate you for a certain amount. I read a story about an elderly couple whose home was underinsured and they couldn't get the repairs done because they lacked the proper insurance.

 

[UserNameTaken]

Yikes! A few years ago in Santa Fe, NM my wife's aunt and I had just parked my car and were walking to meet my wife and her mother for dinner. At the corner we waited for the light, and had just stepped off the curb when, KA-WHAM!!!

About a 20 ft long eucalyptus branch slammed to the sidewalk where we'd been standing a second before, showering us with leaves. Literally one second and I wouldn't be here. People all around and nobody got hit. Messed up a couple of parked cars.

 

[Tommyice]

You put your guardian angel through its paces. Glad to hear you’re okay though I’m sorry about your roof.

 

[zoomzoom]

Then there was a big snow storm, and I heard that more than 200 homes were destroyed by falling trees. The challenge is this: many people are more than happy to underinsure their property because it means less payment for the insurance. What happens though is that the insurance will only compensate you for a certain amount. I read a story about an elderly couple whose home was underinsured and they couldn't get the repairs done because they lacked the proper insurance.

I pay a good amount for insurance (auto and homeowners). I'm going to guess around $4000 per year.
In the last 30 years, I've had one auto claim (flooding). This will be my first home claim.

 

[Peanut]

Glad you're okay! Shame it got your shop... I lost part of a big oak a couple weeks ago, luckily it fell into the highway. Blocked traffic for a couple hours but no one was hurt.

I noticed you have a supply of sandbags like me. They are a handy item to have. Great for holding things down, like a tarp over the hole in your roof.

 

[jazzy]

wow. sure glad you are safe. guess God isnt done with you yet.

 

[zoomzoom]

I noticed you have a supply of sandbags like me. They are a handy item to have. Great for holding things down, like a tarp over the hole in your roof.

Yea, there's around 750-800 full sand bags under that green tarp.
The restoration company said they may be interested in buying 500 of them. I gave them a price of $2 per bag. I think I should have asked a little more.

 

[12icemaker]

I had 8 trees and sumps removed and cleaned up because of wind, They were behind both houses two were 80 foot 6 to 7 foot thick pin oaks about 15 feet apart in line with the bedroom section of the house, the closest was about 10 feet from the house the other was about 25 straight behind it and it had carpenter ant activity and a hole between two of the roots at the back side away from the house.

The stump was half way through in a 25% wedge when they cut it, the other was mostly sound but the side at a 90 to the house had a bad spot.

They and another oak off the hill are gone along with two Black jack and a trio of Hackberry that kept the roof on the back gable painted.

You are lucky to have been in the small spot that kept you from getting any skinned up places!!

 

[Weedygarden]

I pay a good amount for insurance (auto and homeowners). I'm going to guess around $4000 per year.
In the last 30 years, I've had one auto claim (flooding). This will be my first home claim.

My homeowners insurance has gotten ridiculous in the last couple years. I pay close to $600 a month. I had a claim to have my roof replaced 20 years ago.

 

[Caribou]

A few years ago the wind ripped a 20’ section of wall off our boathouse. The corner of the wall hit the ground about 6’ from me, bounced, and landed in the creek, where it stayed a couple of days till we drug it from the creek and replaced it.

 

[lonewolf]

That isn't my house, it's one of my buildings/shops.

same difference, it could still do damage.

 

[Magpie]

So glad you are ok - great insurance service though

 

[lonewolf]

yeah, for now.

 

[kd4ulw]

Glad you are alright. The older I get the more I go to the basement when things start getting dicey.

 

[Neb]

Strong storms came through on Monday. I was sitting in my building, just inside the door watching the storm.

Then a crash. A 20"+ diameter tree fell on my roof. Where it came through, I was just a few feet away. The roof over me bent hard but held but in a straight line behind me, the tree came through the roof, headers, trusses... Just missed me. The top of the tree came over the roof and crashed at my feet. Missed my car by about 3'.

That wasn't the only tree. I had multiple trees down all over the place.

Immediately went to work to mitigate any more damage. Also called insurance and restoration companies.
Before the day ended, I had all belongings under that roof removed, the tree topped to reduce weight and plans with insurance and restoration companies.

Within 24 hours of the incident:
Had a tree company & a crane company come in to get the tree off the roof.
Got this tree and 3 others topped off, all brush chipped and/or removed and all the wood bucked. The 3 other trees my son and I did. Once the tree that hit my building was on the ground, my son and I took care of that one as well (insurance only pays to get the tree off the building and onto the ground).
Had the restoration company in to put up temporary rafters, headers and tarp the roof.
Got the stump removed and hauled away. This one was also done without the tree service.

This was all done in 90+ degree temps. Supposed to be 95 degrees today. I think I may just rest as I'm really worn out.



View attachment 155434View attachment 155435

Your post has me thinking and feeling negligent. I have 4-6 trees that threaten property or power lines.

Gotta get off my rear end.

Ben

 

[zoomzoom]

100 days later....
Everything is fixed. Rafters replaced broken trusses, new roof, new gutters and I'm more than half way done repainting the building.

Nearby trees have been or are targeted for removal to avoid future threats.

My truck bay in the building has been the storage space for the stuff that needed moved to facilitate the construction. I finally have that bay back and my truck is finally back indoors. YEA!

The insurance company gave me some "up front" money to get things done. I paid the contractors "out of pocket" for the remainder. Waiting for reimbursement.

Oh, and for everyone that needs trees felled, GET IT DONE! Around here, I can find someone (if I don't do it myself) to take care of a tree for $200 or less. The tree that hit my building cost over $5,000 to get removed.