Once again, high winds and heavy rains became a powerful and damaging mixture for Bay Area residents Tuesday.
A 100-foot tree fell onto two homes on Marmona Court in Menlo Park. No one was injured, but firefighters had to help one woman escape through a window.
The storm also caused homes to get red-tagged because they’re unsafe to live in.
A Bay Area arborist said he’s heard some harrowing tales and close calls with these storms.
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“I actually saw one in San Anselmo. A teenager heard the tree starting to crack and pop, ran out of his bedroom, and the tree landed right where he was sleeping,” said Zac Wilder of Sonoma-Marin Arborists.
He said the giant trees have really been tested by years of drought and fire stresses, followed by completely saturated soils and high winds.
“And we’re seeing trees that are two, three, 350-year-old trees that are just toppling over in these storms,” said Wilder.
In San Leandro, a massive eucalyptus tree came crashing down onto at least five cars and into an apartment building.
It happened at about 11 a.m. when winds were at their peak.
“They were pretty strong, maybe 30, 40 miles an hour at certain times during the day,” said Steve Cramer of San Leandro.
He monitored the winds from his office in nearby Hayward, wondering if his intuition before heading off to work was correct as he pulled away from the very parking spot where the tree fell.
“I remember hearing all of the stories about all of the trees going down. I'm like, 'one day these trees are gonna come down.' And I just left the parking spot real quick this morning and then I come home after work and sure enough, the trees are down right where I park,” said Cramer.
Another neighbor wasn’t so lucky.
He told NBC Bay Area that the tree smashed two of his cars and they’re only covered by liability insurance.
He hopes whoever owns the tree will cover the damage with their insurance.
On Tuesday afternoon, a Caltrans truck pulled in and the driver took pictures of the tree and the damaged cars.
The man told me the tree did belong to the state.
It was in the right-of-way along I-238, bordering the apartment complex.
More trees fell onto streets and properties in the Oakland hills and in one case onto a fence, but damage was minimal and there were no injuries.
Residents with homes red-tagged in Menlo Park won’t be able to return until the huge tree is removed and inspectors deem it’s safe.
