CONTRA COSTA COUNTY (KRON)—The rain is easing off, but there are still big problems in the East Bay.Tree companies are fielding one call after another removing downed trees from homes and power lines.
KRON4’s Philippe Djegal reports exactly what’s keeping crews so busy.
From wood to dust in Lafayette, one family’s headache nearing resolution after rain and strong winds tipped a large tree onto this house.
Dustin Waraner owns Waraner Tree Experts in the East Bay and says the past two weeks have kept him and his crew busy, mostly in Orinda and Lafayette where water soaked roots are giving out, and so are the trees.
“So, we pieced everything out,” Waraner said. “Roped and lowered everything. And, then we brought the crane in which you can see in the garage. We actually had to fit it into the garage in order to reach the tree, so we’re getting the tree off the home.”
The Modesto Ash Tree fell down on this home at around 1:30 Wednesday morning.
The family inside was asleep at the time.
No one was injured, but the tree did damage the roof and obliterated the chimney.
“It’s a deciduous tree, which usually deciduous trees aren’t as prone to toppling over, but with these soils and all of the drainage, and it just didn’t have the stability.”
In Walnut Creek, another one of Waraner’s crews was on Ygnacio Valley Road near San Carlos Drive.
The city contracted this service out because this dead pine tree was almost leaning onto power lines and was on the brink of toppling over.
“Yeah, we might be saving some lives,” said Francisco Valdez.
Waraner says many of these problems can be prevented if addressed ahead of the rain.
He expects to stay busy through the end of the month.
“Have an arborist out, look at the trees. Anything leaning over roads, wires, homes, uh, address it before the storms come, otherwise it could be a potential problem like we see here today.”