Oak falls, cutting power, blocking Woodland/Spring
A large black oak toppled on Woodland Street around 1 p.m. Saturday, falling onto wires, snapping off a utility pole and closing Woodland and Spring Streets in the old part of town. The road was still closed at 6 p.m. as a Duke Energy crew repaired power lines and a tree service prepared to remove the tree.
A utility pole snapped when the tree hit wires on Woodland Street. |
The tree fell Saturday afternoon in front of 422 Woodland St. It’s a neighborhood with broad front lawns and tall trees, just before the road curves and becomes Spring.
Next-door neighbor Lynn Burris was inside his home when he heard a loud cracking sound. “It was a big thud and I felt the ground shake,” Mr. Burris said. Other neighbors nearby also heard a thud and felt the tree fall.
When the tree fell onto wires, a utility pole snapped off.
The old oak had diseased roots, according to Layton Holsinger, who was called in to remove it. An active bee’s nest also was visible in the side of the tree.
Some homes in the neighborhood were without power early this evening as Duke Energy workers repaired the lines and pole.
Filed under: Davidson general news, Environment, Traffic alerts
I saw this tree shortly after it had fallen. It probably weighed several tons. I thought of all the cars and walkers, including kids on bikes and scooters who use that route. If the tree had hit one, or several, including people in cars, they would not be here now.
The town recently did a survey that found 38 trees along Main and Concord Roads alone that are in bad condition. This one on Lorimer, not part of the survey, shows there could be many more.
This collapse should be a wakeup call to all property owners with large trees. They may look sound, but the interior can be rotten enough to let them fall days after a heavy rain, on a calm sunny day.
The town should urge everyone with large trees to have them professionally checked. It would be terrible to have a tree injure or kill a child biking to school on a nice fall day.
These are preventable situations, if people act on the problem. I would put this way in front of town priorities. We have now been warned by experts and nature. What will be the third strike?