There are times when even bad luck events can be the luckiest moment of your life. On Friday, my family, like hundreds of thousands of people in Northern Virginia, was without power after high winds knocked out power lines and blew transformers. I went outside with my son Jack and we came upon a house in McLean that had a massive tree fall inches from the house. The tree literally ran the length of the house right along its exterior wall with only inches to spare. Given the five dead from the “Bomb Cyclone” on the East Coast, this type of near miss borders on the miraculous.
Two or three inches over, the entire exterior of the house would have been crushed along its side. You could not stand between the tree and the house. It fell in a perfectly straight line along the house’s longest side.
There were a few branches on the roof but this owner must be living right.
You forgot to mention how lucky the homeowner’s home insurance company was.
Looks like a White Oak fell on a Virginia Pine but missed a Virginia resident.
Wow. Good reporting
Glad no one was hurt. Always good to see you on television giving us your thoughts on legal issues.
Glad no one was hurt and the structure is okay. Hate when historic buildings are damaged. Thanks for the pictures.
I am going to cut down some huge pine trees in my back yard.
Home owners insurance will cover any structural damage, but not the cleanup. That tree could cost a few thousand dollars out of pocket for a cleanup.
Poor tree! I feel so sorry for them when they die. Maybe one day there will be an affordable way to put them back in the ground.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
That’s why I don’t plant large trees like oak and maple. Too many people are killed every year when they come down during storms. In the Mid-Atlantic states, such as Maryland and Virginia, you can have gorgeous crepe myrtles, dogwoods and Japanese maples. All beautiful trees, but not large enough to be destructive if they were to fall.
I had the same mis/fortune years ago. Close’un
Well, as the tree falls the branches engage the roof first and tend to push the trunk to one side.