Massive oak tree crushes cars, blocks Mount Vernon street as storm cleanup continues
The more than 100-year-old oak came down around 10 p.m., startling neighbors.
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The storms may have moved out, but the cleanup is far from over in Mount Vernon, where a massive oak tree crashed across Claremont Avenue late Monday night, leaving residents without power and crews working around the clock to clear the damage.
The more than 100-year-old oak came down around 10 p.m., startling neighbors.
“It sounded like something fell out of the sky,” said resident Courtney DeCrenza, who ran to check on her daughter after hearing two loud booms. “It kind of shook around here. I looked out the front window and saw this big, huge tree.”
By Tuesday, the quiet neighborhood had been replaced by the sounds of chainsaws, cranes and heavy equipment as crews began the painstaking process of removing the tree.
Neighbors believe days of heavy rain weakened the ground, making it easier for the tree to topple.
“The earth is saturated and most of these trees are fibrous roots, so they don’t have roots that go down,” said resident Fazal Y.
Mount Vernon Mayor Shawyn Patterson-Howard said the fallen tree is one of several storm-related emergencies that crews have been responding to throughout the city.
“Right now you’re seeing an over 100-year super oak that has fallen,” Patterson-Howard said. “We’ve been waiting since last night for this crane. We were the third stop on the crane tour, and now they’re here with the crane and the grappler.”
Much of the block remained without power as crews from Con Edison, Asplundh Tree Service and the Mount Vernon Tree Unit worked together to remove the tree, free heavily damaged vehicles trapped beneath the branches and reopen Claremont Avenue.
City officials said the work is expected to continue into the night as crews focus on restoring power and safely clearing the roadway.
Despite the damage, DeCrenza said the experience has given her a new perspective.
“You know, stop and think about what’s important and count your blessings when things like this happen,” she said.
