SLO residents forced to evacuate after tree topples during storm: ‘Felt like an earthquake’
Around 5 a.m. Friday, San Luis Obispo resident Jessica Estrada heard a loud crash and felt her home shake.
“It felt like an earthquake,” Estrada said.
A huge pine tree fell on Estrada’s home in a duplex on Serrano Circle on Friday morning as a winter storm slammed San Luis Obispo County.
Around the time the tree ripped loose from the ground and struck the roof of the duplex, San Luis Obispo was experiencing winds of 15 to 28 mph with gusts of 30 to 41 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
Heavy rain had also pounded the area, with nearly a half-inch falling between 4 and 5 a.m., Weather Service data show.
One branch of the tree smashed through a room in Estada’s unit, she said, while the trunk fell through the living room of her neighbor’s unit.
The San Luis Obispo City Fire Department, city officials and Red Cross workers all responded to the scene.
Estrada said her neighbor, an elderly woman with a cat, was forced to evacuate immediately, since the tree had severely damaged her living room.
Luckily, the woman has family in town with whom she can stay, Estrada said.
Estrada said she and her three children were given until noon to grab what they could before leaving. They plan to stay in a hotel room until it’s safe to return home.
“I just want my home back,” Estrada said.
This story was originally published February 24, 2023 at 5:15 PM.
