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Massive Fallen Oak Only Causes Minor Damage To Vallejo Home

VALLEJO (CBS SF) – The first of several storm fronts rolled through the Bay Area early Tuesday, toppling a massive tree that crashed down on a home in Vallejo and making for a treacherous morning commute in the Bay Area.

Veronica McElroy said her family was sound asleep when they were rousted from their slumber by a loud rumble and barking from their dog at 2:13 a.m.

"It was scary!" said home owner Veronica McElorry. "It was scarier than an earthquake, because I know the size of the tree!"

The family began to search the home for damage and made a frightening discovery.

"We could hear the cracking of tree branches," she said. "So we went and looked outside and saw the whole side of the tree trunk was broken and it [the tree] was lying across the porch. The power box was sparking flames, and so my husband reached in to turn off the power. And then PG&E came out and took the wire down."

McElroy said it appeared that the tree had only caused minor damage to the home with a smashed window and the broken electrical box. A city engineer determine the house still stable late Tuesday morning.

Crews worked through the morning to remove the fallen oak in large pieces, including the base of the tree that was estimated to weigh over 9,000 pounds.

Fallen Oak in Vallejo
Fallen Oak in Vallejo (Don Ford/CBS)

Tree professionals said wind, rain and rotten roots likely contributed to the tree falling.

McElorry said the tree had worried her for a long time. 11 years ago, she applied for a permit to cut it down.

"You can get a permit, but it's going to be to trim the tree, not to cut it," she explained. "And I said, 'Trimming is not going to help. This tree is humongous! It needs to be cut.' And they said 'No.'"

No one at the Vallejo City Hall remembers why the permit was rejected 11 years ago, but the process, even for private property, is still the same today.

"When the city gets involved, we want to be sure that the trees, there's a reason for removal, there's a plan for replacement and that's what our process is like," said assistant to the Vallejo City Manager Joanna Altman.

McElorry said that, with the power out, she'll be spending the night in a hotel. However, her husband and their two pit bulls will be spending the night here at the house.

Across the Bay Area, the front raised havoc with steady downpours. It was the first of three storms expected this week with Friday's front to be the most potent.

But the first storm still managed to dump nearly 3 inches of rain at Boulder Creek in the water-soaked Santa Cruz Mountains and 2.37 inches of rain in Kentfield In Marin County by 8 a.m.

San Francisco had gotten 1.3 inches, San Rafael 1.5 inches and Yountville 1.66 inches.

By 9 a.m., skies had cleared in San Francisco but the unstable cold air trailing the storm front could trigger afternoon thundershowers, forecasters warned.

Another system was forecasted to roll into the Bay Area on late Tuesday night with heavy showers overnight until Wednesday morning.

Forecasters predicted another inch or more would fall in the Bay Area from the second front.

It would only be a warm-up for a potent storm targeting the region late Thursday night through Saturday morning.

As much as 3 inches could fall on the Bay Area, particularly north of the Golden Gate Bridge.

In the Sierra, a winter storm advisory was in effect until Wednesday at 6 p.m. As much as 8 inches was predicted for 6,500 feet.

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