Sacramento emergency crews rush to remove fallen trees ahead of a return of extreme weather
SACRAMENTO - Northern California residents are bracing for more rain and wind as communities pause during widespread storm cleanup from back-to-back winter storms.
After dawn, people living in Midtown Sacramento awoke to find cars crushed by streets with roadblocks on busy streets. All evidence mother nature had roared through overnight.
Near 23rd and I street, spectators watched tree removal companies tackle debris.
"To see a big tree like this and this right here and leaning on the house - I would never think I'd see anything like this," said Christopher Tolbert.
A supply of contractors and equipment runs thin after responding to multiple rounds of storm damage.
A contractor said he would have to wait longer to remove a tree.
"I can only do so much," said Matthew Pederson of Artisan Tree Service. "I don't want to do more damage to the roof, so we're going to have to wait for a crane."
A few blocks away, a similar story unfolded.
The ground buckles feet high while exposing the Earth beneath near 21 street and G street.
A neighbor recounts seeing the ground move overnight before this tree fell over a quadplex.
"It was nothing like I'd seen before," James Mcdaniel said. "I knew that the tree was going to topple over."
The building owner is hoping the city gets on the scene quickly.
"I think Sacramento doesn't have enough help to get these trees down," John Small Jr said.
Following the New Year's storm, officials said they believed cleanup could take weeks.
As more winter storms batter the region, their timeline may get pushed further back.