Oakland

Large Tree Topples, Just Misses Homes in Oakland

A 120-foot tree came crashing down in the backyard of an Oakland couple Sunday, uplifting their cottage and missing their home and the one next door by inches.

The roots of the large Monterey pine tree came up from the saturated ground, causing it to topple; it also took out a fence and deck in Caria Tomczykowska's backyard.

"All of a sudden, I felt something," she said. "I thought it was another earthquake."

Tomczykowska said she's just grateful no one was hurt.

"My horoscope said something exciting would happen this week, and it came true," she said.

Tomczykowska said the tree also damaged their neighbors' car, breaking the windows.

Tomczykowska said they had an arborist evaluate the tree just two weeks ago, and it was given the green light for another year. Now, many neighbors are having older trees in their yards checked out.

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