While you can do some things reduce the possibility of these things happening, there are some things that just happen. The only way they could be prevented is to pass laws that nothing could be higher that one story above the ground. However like all laws of this nature, it would not do what was intended only add more red tape to the bloated government system. If it was not a tree that came down it could have been some thing else that in the hurricane force winds was blown down on the house.

Saturated ground, high wind, trees. Some will fall. That's what happens on our planet. The majority of deaths from this storm AIUI are from trees.

Dan

and you peeps mock me for fearing being killed in my sleep by falling trees .. and suggesting that no large tree be within 30 feet of a house..

pshaw ...

ken

ps: i do feel sorry for those affected.. my prayers are with them ...

First, it is tragic.

Second, folks make bad decisions every day. Some risk their lives as they cant wait 15 seconds for traffic to clear before turning. Some fail to leave town before a hurricane everyone knew was coming.

Third, this is more proof ken has a point. This last big ash tree over my house is coming down. Cant be sleeping under its rotting branch crotch every night expecting some saint to save me.

Hi everyone and thank you for responding. Can any of you tell, via the video, what kind of tree it was? You can see it easily on the video.

I'm still too new in learning the specifics about trees to know what kind of tree it was. Thanks in advance if anyone can answer.

One last thing, the NY daily News is now reporting that something like 650 trees have been uprooted in the five boroughs. Parks says +100 forestry crews working to remove downed limbs.

This is just unbelievable for 80mph winds and what was downgraded to a Tropical Storm.

It's not as unbelievable as it seems. We have had rain, rain, and more rain in the last couple weeks, and the ground all over the metropolitan area was saturated before Irene showed up. Most areas around here (northeastern NJ) got 7 - 8 inches more since yesterday afternoon. Those roots are just pulling out of the mud when the wind starts up (and it's still extremely windy, about 7 hours after the storm passed by).

This is quite tragic, along with all the others deaths that took place during the storm.

It is a freak accident though. Consider that about 6,000 americans die EVERY hour in the US. There aren't even statistics available for how many people die in a given year from trees falling them. You probably have a higher chance of killing yourself from your eating habits than a tree falling on you.

The video doesn't really show me much of the leaves. My first thought was "ash" thanks to the tree's shape but who really knows.

What I have been reminded to keep in context is how LONG the heavy winds continue. Over the last decade I have seen stronger downbursts and straight line winds but not for hours and not after that much rain.

Interesting to see which trees uproot vs break apart. Ilovemytrees, when you mention NY I picture trees planted in tighter spaces on older property. Wonder how many pulled up "soil squares" like we see in older parts of st louis sometimes.

"One last thing, the NY daily News is now reporting that something like 650 trees have been uprooted in the five boroughs. Parks says +100 forestry crews working to remove downed limbs.

This is just unbelievable for 80mph winds and what was downgraded to a Tropical Storm"

That's not much. A storm in Britain in October 1987 took down 15 million trees, and one in Germany in January 2007, 25 million in just one district (Nordrhein-Westfalen) alone.

Resin