MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Icy conditions led to a lot of trees and branches falling across the Mid-South, including at Naomi Nunez’s East Memphis home. She said she thought the world was ending when she woke up to a boom earlier Thursday morning. Tree limbs landed on their roof very close to her children’s room.
“Before the sun came up, we heard a huge crash!” Nunez said.
Around 3 a.m., Nunez woke up confused.
“We went on a hunt through house to see what happened and in living room we found the ceiling had come through,” Nunez said.
It was a shock for this family of five. The tree in their backyard, weighed down by ice, had fallen on their roof.
“The kids were really scared. Had to comfort them make sure ok to go to sleep,” Nunez said.
When WREG spoke with Woodland Tree Service’s Terran Arwood Thursday morning, he already had about 10 other calls like the Nunez’s.
“This is very common: an Evergreen with a snapped limb,” Arwood said. “The accumulation of ice can make a limb weigh several times more than what it would usually.”
As for the Nunez’s house, his crews brought in some heavy-duty equipment to retrieve the pieces. They then used a temporary tarp to cover the hole in the roof.
It’s all a good reminder for Nunez to share this lesson with others.
“Take a look at trees around your home and pay attention to anything that’s not strong and stable,” Nunez said. “We’ll probably be wearing coats in the house for a while!”
Tree experts say the best way to avoid trouble is to get trees trimmed ahead of a big weather event.
Arwood said whether tree damage accelerates this week depends on the wind; if gusts get above 15 mph, damage will get worse.