As the region braces itself for another bout of freezing rain, Oregonians are warned to be careful of trees and branches that are encased in heavy ice. Until they thaw, the continuous pressure and strain can cause many to shatter and fall, threatening people’s safety.
One family in the Santa Clara area is still coming down from their unsettling experience.
Nicole Thieme told KLCC that on Sunday, her husband had returned from his parked car barely 15 minutes when disaster hit.
“We heard a lot of crackling – like, really loud crackling – and before I could really see much, all of a sudden we just saw our beautiful black locust tree fall and crash right onto my husband’s car,” she said.
A large section of the tree also fell across the neighbor’s car port, damaging the roof, but the most damage came to the vehicle, an older Ford Escape which had been in her husband’s family for a while.
“We always knew we had to get a new car, but not this soon,” said Thieme.
While sad over the loss of the more-than-century-old tree, Thieme said she’s grateful it wasn’t her husband or daughter under it.
“She’d been out that morning playing,” added Thieme. “We’re glad she didn’t go out again for obvious reasons.”
The towering tree was often described by neighbors as “majestic” and was home to honeybees, squirrels, and owls. Thieme said it was sad to see it come down, but was again grateful it didn’t fall on anyone.
She adds the grueling weather has helped her appreciate how the community pulls together. She’s had her neighbors over to warm up and charge their devices while they wait for power to return to their home.
The potential for falling trees has led the City of Eugene to close its city parks until further notice. Falling limbs are also blamed for the region's widespread power outages.
A second round of freezing rain is expected Tuesday afternoon.
For the latest closings in the KLCC listening area, visit our Closings page.
