CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- High winds and rain took down a massive Oak Tree in the Elizabeth area. Luckily no one was hurt. But neighbors aren't surprised the tree came down.
Eric Horsely heard the explosion. "We thought our house had blown up. It did scare us. We ran out to find out what was going on," said Horsley.
Tiffany Verch heard it too. "It was a huge crash. Very scarey," said Verch.
After two days of continuous rain and wind, Mother Nature brought down a massive Oak Tree in the Elizabeth neighborhood on Greenway Avenue. The roots of the tree spanned at least six feet in circumfrence.
Shortly after fire and police crews arrived on the scene, power lines exploded in mid air.
"They're still live," said Charlotte Fire Department Captain Tony Bateman. "Right now we're not letting people in," he said.
Neighbors say the worried about the tree for years, knew it had root rot, and they sheepishly admit they're glad it's gone.
"It's a relief. We're glad it didn't hurt anyone. We knew it was coming down sooner or later," said Horsely.
The man who owns the house does not live in it, according to neighbors. No one was hurt when the tree came down.
Arborists we talked to say it's important to have your trees checked every three to five years by a professional arborists. They also say mushrooms around the bottom of a tree, along with falling limbs, are signs the tree may have root rot and be in danger of coming down.
