In the early hours of February 17, a storm resulted in an incident for Rashad Sharif and his wife, who were awakened by a 40-foot pine tree falling onto their home. The couple had been asleep around 2 am when the storm’s intensity escalated.

“I heard a loud noise like wind, but then I heard a BOOM BOOM,” Mr. Sharif recounted. “I didn’t know at the time if it was an earthquake or if someone had driven into the house.”

He discovered that one of the 40-foot pine trees in front of his house had crashed into his roof. Mr. Sharif, the owner of the house at 1573 West Amerige, noted that the damage was mostly to the south side, where the living room was located. The tree lifted an approximately 15-foot-wide section of the curb, along with its 3-foot footing, as it tipped over onto the house.

“I couldn’t call the city because it was 2 am,” stated Mr. Sharif. The police arrived around 3:30 am and took his information. He called the insurance company, and they sent someone by within 3 hours.

Mr. Sharif also called his own contractor to discuss repairs to the house, which was built in the 1940s.

Mario Gonzalez, Area Manager for West Coast Arborists, confirmed that the city had called upon his team to safely remove the fallen tree and secure the surrounding area for residents. As of 3 pm on Wednesday, his team had cordoned off the area and was prepared to commence their work.