Drought-affected trees primed to fall during big storms
WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) -- The storms of the past few days may be a preview of things to come in terms of trees that may be primed for failure after four years of drought.
With each storm that moves through the Bay Area, it seems there's another series of trees that fall, sometimes making for a very close call.
VIDEO: Tree falls on van in Hayward due to strong winds
In Hayward, it was a big oak that gave way and landed on a van used to transport special needs kids.
Tree experts say this could be just the beginning. If predictions hold true, this winter is going to be a wild one.
"The weather guys are really giving us a lot of work. People are concerned about their trees and this El Nino coming in and getting stuff taken care of prior to it falling and causing damage to the house," Advanced Tree Services' Darren Edward said.
Creek arborist John Traverso said he's booked out through March with homeowners worried their trees may not make it through the winter.
"We've heard highest winds we're ever going to see and this is all following up four years of severe drought, historic drought. So we're having all this historic weather back to back. So we, as arborists, are interested to see what's going to happen," he said.
Qualified in tree risk assessment, Traverso says much of the decision-making depends on what the target is. That is what a particular tree or limb could hit if it does fall.
