‘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 1,635 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
2:24
Fire officials: 39 people, including 8 children, displaced in Newark Broadway Street fire

Fire officials: 39 people, including 8 children, displaced in Newark Broadway Street fire

1:53
Spotty showers overnight with lows around 48; breezy but sunny Wednesday ahead

Spotty showers overnight with lows around 48; breezy but sunny Wednesday ahead

1:07
Paterson middle school briefly goes into lockdown following gunshots at nearby home

Paterson middle school briefly goes into lockdown following gunshots at nearby home

0:28
Police: Man accused of stealing steaks from Bayonne Walmart at knifepoint

Police: Man accused of stealing steaks from Bayonne Walmart at knifepoint

2:00
Seaside Park enacts new ‘No Wake Zone’ law to prevent people causing havoc in flooded streets

Seaside Park enacts new ‘No Wake Zone’ law to prevent people causing havoc in flooded streets

0:19
Road rage incident in Jersey City caught on camera; police seek driver

Road rage incident in Jersey City caught on camera; police seek driver

2:04
Police: Crews rescue 46 dogs from fire inside Pio Costa industrial complex in Fairfield

Police: Crews rescue 46 dogs from fire inside Pio Costa industrial complex in Fairfield

0:31
Sources: Body recovered in Barnegat Bay believed to be missing Island Heights woman

Sources: Body recovered in Barnegat Bay believed to be missing Island Heights woman

1:52
Police: South Brunswick crash involving car and motorcycle kills 1

Police: South Brunswick crash involving car and motorcycle kills 1

0:55
News 12 and Red Bulls host Weather Education Day at Red Bull Arena

News 12 and Red Bulls host Weather Education Day at Red Bull Arena

0:20
Police: Burglar found in crawl space at Ocean Township diner

Police: Burglar found in crawl space at Ocean Township diner

Police: 1 person killed in car crash on Route 535 in South Brunswick

Police: 1 person killed in car crash on Route 535 in South Brunswick

0:29
Moscow court rejects Evan Gershkovich's appeal, keeping him in jail until at least June 30

Moscow court rejects Evan Gershkovich's appeal, keeping him in jail until at least June 30

0:27
Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A named world’s best terminal by Skytrax

Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal A named world’s best terminal by Skytrax

1:52
Rahway police seek public’s help identifying suspects in attempted car thefts, burglaries

Rahway police seek public’s help identifying suspects in attempted car thefts, burglaries

0:29
Former Wildwood mayor indicted for 2nd time, accused of tax evasion

Former Wildwood mayor indicted for 2nd time, accused of tax evasion

1:29
Best of New Jersey: Enjoying sweet treats at Enjou Chocolat in Morristown

Best of New Jersey: Enjoying sweet treats at Enjou Chocolat in Morristown

0:31
Authorities ID 3 people killed in South Brunswick crash

Authorities ID 3 people killed in South Brunswick crash

0:26
USDA warns of ground beef that may be contaminated with E.coli

USDA warns of ground beef that may be contaminated with E.coli

0:48
9 steps to take if your ‘fur-ever’ friend goes missing

9 steps to take if your ‘fur-ever’ friend goes missing