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Bronx family says close call with fallen tree comes after years of ignored warnings

The FDNY cut up the fallen tree to clear the area, leaving debris behind in the family’s yard.

Mike Lamorte

Jul 15, 2026, 10:20 PM

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A Bronx mother says her daughter narrowly avoided tragedy after a large tree came crashing onto a sidewalk during Thursday’s storms at NYCHA’s Clason Point Gardens.

Dorothy Febus says she was in her backyard when she heard the tree fall outside her building. Her daughter, Brianna, had just gotten home moments earlier.

“My daughter could have been dead today,” Dorothy said.

Brianna says the close call shook her.

“My heart was jumping and I was thinking, like, ‘Damn, that could have been me,’” she said.

Brianna, who serves as president of the Clason Point Gardens Tenant Association, says she’s been warning NYCHA about the tree for the past five years. She claims another large branch is still hanging over the street and fears someone could be seriously hurt if it falls.

Neighbors say NYCHA surveyed trees throughout the development last year, marking some for maintenance, but they believe several hazardous trees still haven’t been trimmed.

The FDNY cut up the fallen tree to clear the area, leaving debris behind in the family’s yard.

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