With the ground saturated and more wind and rain on the way, tree experts say downed trees may be a common sight over the coming days.
Janet Emmons and her family have lived on their property just off Squire Canyon Road in San Luis Obispo since 1995.
Emmons says they are no strangers to tree problems, including the tree that fell overnight on their property.
"We had a tree go down on the house about 15 years ago, so since then we've been very careful to make sure we monitor and trim limbs as much as we can," Emmons said.
That's where Ron Rinell and his team at Bunyon Brothers come in. Emmons says she has him out about once a year to inspect things, or in cases like this, to do tree removal.
"When the soil becomes saturated, it's less for the tree roots to hold on to, so then you throw in the winds and we have a higher chance of leverage of trees to fall over," said Bill VanHorbek, Master Arborist with Bunyon Brothers.
Rinell says on Wednesday, he and his team saw over a dozen downed trees, including one in Arroyo Grande that damaged four vehicles.
Payment for tree removal depends on damages. Rinell says Emmons got lucky, and there weren't substantial property damages, which means she’ll have to pay the estimated $2,000 out of pocket versus insurance.
"Everything is all about time for us. The quicker we get it done, the cheaper or more inexpensively we can do it for the customer," Rinell said.
He recommends maintaining and keeping an eye on your trees to reduce their chance of falling.
"Notice crowning around your trees or if you see cracks, cracking of the soil around the trees, it could be a sign of potential uplifting or uprooting," Rinell said.
On Wednesday, he and his team inspected the tree at Emmons' property, but he says they won't start removal until Thursday, which should take about half a day.
