Wet Ground, High Winds Bring Down Several Trees
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) –High winds and saturated soil are being blamed for several trees falling down and causing damage to property around the area Monday night.
In Point Breeze, a tree fell down and smashed a minivan on Edgerton Avenue.
It was not the morning Ted Guske had envisioned. He woke up to find a tree had crushed his minivan.
"I'm no expert, but that looks like a total loss to me," Gurske said.
Shortly before midnight, the tree came crashing down and took a power line down with it. Gurske was awoken by the car alarm going off.
"There's a hundred different worst case scenarios that could've happened. And I guess, relatively speaking, this is probably the best one. It didn't hit the house. No one's injured," Gurske said.
Pittsburgh Public Works' Forestry Division said the tree wasn't even anchored in the ground because of significant root rot.
All of the roots were severely decayed and strong winds were able to easily knock the massive tree over.
The wind helped to bring down trees all over the city.
In Knoxville, another tree fell into a house near the intersection of Knox Avenue and Charles Street around 11 p.m.
The fire department responded to the scene and it is unclear if the family was able to remain in the house overnight.
In Wilkinsburg, another tree toppled into a house on Brashear Street in the Park Place neighborhood.
"I heard the wind. Woke me right up. It was howling and I was scared," Polly McQueen said.
One man says this is all just a reminder of who's really in charge.
"Just lets you know that Mother Nature ain't no joke," he said.
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