It is believed the wind and the rainy weather over the past week was the final shove the tree needed to fall. Resident Steven Staudinger was still at work when his wife called around 3.30pm on Wednesday 19 November to tell him the news.
“We knew it would fall over eventually,” Staudinger said.
He added his neighbour had reported the dangerous, dead tree several months before and City Parks had not yet removed it.
“They arrived after the fact late on Wednesday afternoon but I could not allow them to cut it down then as my insurance company still needed to assess the damage,” Staudinger said.
Johannesburg City Parks managing director Bulumko Nelana in a press statement said the department has 24-hour standby units specifically dedicated to trees that endanger the safety of residents, pedestrians and motorists.
According to Nelana the number of fallen branches or trees that are uprooted do increase dramatically during the rainy months.
“This is mostly due to the soggy weather exacerbated by winds and sometimes hail,” she said.
“City Parks had received more than six reports in the past week regarding trees that have either been knocked down by motor vehicles or were uprooted due to the incessant rains,” Nelana said.
“The 24-hour standby units were deployed to ensure fallen trees that are obstructing access and motorists are moved out of harm’s way,” Nelana said.
“It is then the job of the team or unit to collect fallen branches with a chipper truck within two weeks and ensure that the site is cleared.”
Nelana reminds residents there are over six million trees in public spaces within the City of Johannesburg and a few reports are “not a cause for concern”.
“Trees also generally droop when it rains and they quickly regain their natural gait once the sun is out again,” Nelana said.
In order to report uprooted trees, fallen branches or trees that are endangering the public, residents can contact the Joburg Connect call centre on 011 375 5555 or send an email to trees@jhbcityparks.com
See a gallery of the uprooted tree in Foxglove Street here.
Related articles:
• Tree tumbles into Poplar Street
