Potential wind storm concerns residents in Corralitos

With gusty winds expected to hit the Central Coast this week, residents living in the forests are preparing for falling trees.

Vanessa Smith lives in a house tucked away up the hill in Corralitos in an area that usually sees a good amount of trees crashing to the ground during windy storms.

Smith says she is looking to take care of some of the concerns around her house.

“We have a lot of trees around our house and lots of big Redwood branches over our house,” said Smith.

There is a Redwood tree just feet away from her bedroom window, with branches that could fall right through during a wind storm.

“I go to sleep thinking about it because the branches are like right over our bed,” said Smith.

“If Redwood breaks a branch off, it ends up being an arrow…it turns just like an arrow would and it goes straight down,” said Dale Alan Williams, a co-owner of Williams Tree Service based in the Watsonville area. “And when the arrow goes straight down, it goes right through your roof.”

He says trees like Redwoods and Eucalyptus will flex in the wind, but that is not the case with fir trees.

“When they fall over, they cut stuff in half,” said Williams. “They cut the building in half, they cut your garage in half.”

He says it is important to look out for signs of cracks to prevent any tragedies.

“If you physically see a crack in the tree, get out,” said Williams.

If storms are coming and a tree seems to lean toward a bedroom, just sleep in another room or have your children sleep in another room.

Trimming you trees is also important, and that is exactly what Smith is planning to do.

“(Our arborist) said it was definitely a good idea to take off the branches that were hanging over the house,” she said. “They call them widow makers for a reason.”

You can always call your local tree specialist if you need any branches removed or if you are concerned about the trees around your house.