When a tree falls in a forest, no one may hear it…but when a 75-foot tall monster eucalyptus tree falls in an urban backyard, both the impact and its effects can be felt in many ways, for many days.
For most people in Los Angeles, last Monday’s big wind storm is starting to become a dim memory. But for the folks who live on the 700 block of S. Citrus Ave. it’s still very much a part of their lives, five days later. On Monday morning, during the peak of the huge wind gusts, an approximately 75-foot tall eucalyptus tree fell in a back yard on that block, crashing into three garages, and landing with such force across the nearby utility lines that a pole in the parking lot of the Starbucks at Wilshire and Highland snapped like a match, leaving everyone without power, phone service and internet connections.
Luckily, though, the consequences weren’t worse: although one nearby homeowner was in his garage at the time, he escaped with only minor scratches. One car was damaged by the fallen pole in the Starbucks parking lot. But no one else was hurt, and the tree fell in a north/south direction across several backyards, without hitting any houses.
Barbara Henderson, who lives on the block, said she heard the tree go down “with a gigantic whoosh,” but “we were all amazingly lucky” that the damage was as limited as it was. She also said “DWP has been terrific” in keeping residents informed about the situation and that she would like to “thank the firefighters and DWP who responded so quickly.”
Henderson’s husband, Joseph Macrum, agreed, saying “It’s been an adventure…but not one I’d like to see happen again.”
About Elizabeth Fuller
Elizabeth Fuller was born and raised in Minneapolis, MN but has lived in LA since 1991 - with deep roots in both the Sycamore Square and West Adams Heights-Sugar Hill neighborhoods. She spent 10 years with the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council, volunteers at Wilshire Crest Elementary School, and is the co-owner/publisher of the Buzz.
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