‘I couldn’t believe what I saw’ – Tree falls on Little Falls family’s home

Powerful storms moved through the state Thursday night, leaving behind significant damage in some areas.

News 12 Staff

Nov 1, 2019, 9:10 PM

Updated 1,647 days ago

Share:


Powerful storms moved through the state Thursday night, leaving behind significant damage in some areas.
One Little Falls family says that they were surprised to find that a tree had fallen on their home, especially since they were supposed to have one of the trees on their property removed Friday anyway.
Ron Tolemeo says that his brother-in-law who lives across the street was scheduled to have a dead tree removed from his property. But instead, it was a healthy tree that came crashing down on the family’s home.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw, which was a tree in the kitchen,” Tolemeo says. “It didn’t surprise me from the winds that were coming down the street.”
Casey Walentowicz of Aspen Tree Service says that the tree that fell did not show any signs of decay and was perfectly healthy. But he says that sometimes it is healthy trees that can pose the most danger.
“The live trees have a full canopy of leaves. They catch the winds like a sail pretty much…they have the water weight up there,” he says. “What happened is this combination of rain loosening the soil, low-lying area - you get the right combination of wind and rain and no tree is safe."

Aspen Tree Service will be back Saturday to remove the dead tree from the property as well. But Walentowicz says that there is a long list of cleanup to take care of in northern New Jersey.
“We just try to get to it in order of priority. If it’s on a house, that’s No. 1 priority. If it’s on a car, No. 2 and if it’s in your front lawn, No. 3,” he says.
Tree experts recommend that homeowners have large trees on their property inspected regularly and to take down the dead ones. They say that while the lives ones can fall during a storm, unhealthy trees can come down at any time.


More from News 12
0:16
New Jersey state trooper dies in training incident

New Jersey state trooper dies in training incident

1:41
Cloudy with passing showers for Monday in New Jersey

Cloudy with passing showers for Monday in New Jersey

2:06
Paterson homeowner says an abandoned home nearby is causing health, safety issues for his family

Paterson homeowner says an abandoned home nearby is causing health, safety issues for his family

0:28
Prosecutors: Discarded smoking material blamed for Lakewood fire that sent 3 to hospital

Prosecutors: Discarded smoking material blamed for Lakewood fire that sent 3 to hospital

New Jersey National Teacher Appreciation Week Photos

New Jersey National Teacher Appreciation Week Photos

1:50
Rainy Sunday impacts businesses on Cinco De Mayo

Rainy Sunday impacts businesses on Cinco De Mayo

0:55
Iconic Paterson hot dog stand Libby's Lunch sold at auction

Iconic Paterson hot dog stand Libby's Lunch sold at auction

0:30
Zibanejad has 2 goals and 1 assist, Panarin scores as Rangers beat Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 1

Zibanejad has 2 goals and 1 assist, Panarin scores as Rangers beat Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 1

1:50
Curfew enforcement for kids under 17 now in effect in Newark

Curfew enforcement for kids under 17 now in effect in Newark

1:11
Injury at Morristown NJ Transit station leads to train service delays

Injury at Morristown NJ Transit station leads to train service delays

2:06
New guidance says women need to be screened for breast cancer at 40 or younger

New guidance says women need to be screened for breast cancer at 40 or younger

3:01
 All I-95 lanes in Norwalk reopen one day after overpass demolition

All I-95 lanes in Norwalk reopen one day after overpass demolition

1:46
Officials: Man killed in house explosion in South River identified as retired Newark officer

Officials: Man killed in house explosion in South River identified as retired Newark officer

0:42
NJ lawmakers criticize how Rutgers officials negotiated with pro-Palestinian protesters

NJ lawmakers criticize how Rutgers officials negotiated with pro-Palestinian protesters

0:28
Special election to be held to fill late Rep. Donald Payne’s seat in Congress

Special election to be held to fill late Rep. Donald Payne’s seat in Congress

0:42
Jersey Proud: Army ROTC students from Rutgers, Seton Hall and Princeton train together

Jersey Proud: Army ROTC students from Rutgers, Seton Hall and Princeton train together

1:32
Knowing the early warning signs during Stroke Awareness Month

Knowing the early warning signs during Stroke Awareness Month

0:27
Prosecutor: 2 people seriously injured in 3-car crash; driver charged with drunk driving

Prosecutor: 2 people seriously injured in 3-car crash; driver charged with drunk driving

0:30
Police: New York man pointed knife at pro-Palestinian protester in Teaneck

Police: New York man pointed knife at pro-Palestinian protester in Teaneck

0:27
Officials: Paterson man threatened to ‘shoot up’ JFK Int’l Airport

Officials: Paterson man threatened to ‘shoot up’ JFK Int’l Airport