Large tree strikes San Antonio home after local wind gusts rise to 55 mph.
SAN ANTONIO — Strong winds moved through San Antonio Monday morning and left some homeowners briefly without power. At one home on the southwest-side, it caused an even greater headache for local neighbors.
Skip Keith said he woke up early to winds so strong it sounded like a train was outside.
“It sounded like a freight train, and then I heard a snap,” Keith said. “Jumped out of bed and ran outside real quick in the dark with a flashlight. I had a new tree in my backyard.”
That “new tree” had been in the next door neighbors yard and had fallen through the fence. Neighbor Blue Mojica said his wife woke around 3:30 a.m. to the howling of the wind, which he also described as sounding like a train. The family soon realized the tree that had stood in the backyard for years had now fallen over.
“We both said at the same time, ‘I hope the neighbors aren’t hurt,’” Mojica said.
Both neighbors later assessed the damage in the morning light. It could have been worse. The tree landed on Keith’s bedroom and cracked his roof but it did not break into the home. The tree also destroyed their shared fence but missed all the nearby utilities.
“We were blessed that none of that got interfered with,” Mojica said.
Still, the cleanup and repairs will take time. An insurance adjuster would not be out for several days but Mojica was already getting estimates to find out how much it would cost to remove the tree.
Keith said he was glad they could work together to figure it out.
“Everyone is safe and sound. My neighbor was on it. He was in as much disbelief as I was,” Keith said.
Meanwhile, CPS Energy spent the day restoring power to customers across San Antonio. Most customer were reconnected by 4 p.m. CPS Energy asks any customers who see additional downed power lines to report them by calling 210-353-HELP (4357). The utility released the following statement:
CPS Energy crews are ready and focused on restoring power to areas affected by weather-related issues, including high winds. If customers see any downed power lines, please stay away from the area and immediately report them to 210-353-HELP (4357). We ask our community for patience as our crews work in potentially dangerous driving and working conditions.