STOCKTON, Calif. — From above and below, tree crews are risking their lives, cutting limbs, and clearing away mother nature's unwelcome stormy visit.
As winter continued its relentless march through San Joaquin County and the Valley, once dependable fortresses of fencing are no longer holding up to the unforgiving wind and rain.
Power is still blacked out in some intersections around Stockton. Excess water is still causing some street flooding. Many people have complained on social media, and during the reporting of this story, that the City of Stockton hasn't been proactive enough in taking out old trees before they fall.
"They said they had already sent somebody out and they observed them. And they said that the trees were fine," said Stockton resident Herb Meermann, who was home Tuesday night when two large trees came crashing down, partially hitting his house.
Meermann said he complained to the city less than a year ago that a large tree and another had seen better days.
"They're infested with mistletoe and some of the limbs are dead already. So, we had a fear this was going to happen and sure enough it happened," Meermann added.
In response, the city said, "This storm event was one of the biggest wind events we've experienced in years. Many healthy trees suffered damage and were lost."
In November, the city council set aside $1.38 million for the removal of 300 unhealthy trees -- 1,800 tree stumps will be removed, too.
But not soon enough for Sarah Gidney, who lost her Jeep Liberty to an old fallen tree in a neighborhood off North El Dorado Street. Fortunately, she had insurance and was lighthearted about her car getting crushed in the middle of the night.
"Not every day the entire tree just lands on your Jeep," Gidney said.
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