Residents of Fairfield and Skeete’s Road, Black Rock, St Michael, got the shock of their lives early yesterday morning.
An old casuarina tree, said to be at least 100 years old, came crashing down on power and telephone lines, terrifying residents, some of whom were asleep.
The tree fell directly opposite Debra Gill and it was only the utility lines that saved her roof from the full weight of the tree.
“The branches from that tree used to grow onto the lines and cause them to spark, but [Barbados] Light & Power would only trim the branches instead of getting the tree removed, like I used to ask them.
“Last night there was a strong wind and you should see that tree swaying back and forth. I said, ‘This tree will fall’, and now look. I think the other tree needs cutting down too,” she said.
Gill’s daughter Melissa Branker lives next door. She said the tree fell around 7:40 a.m and sounded like “thunder”. She said they were now without electricity and telephone services.
John-Pierre Henry, who lives along nearby Skeete’s Road, said the impact of the tree was felt all along the neighbourhood.
“That t’ing holla so hard I thought a plane had hit, or somebody house blow up; I was sleeping and it jump me!” he said.
Henry said the weight of the tree ripped the lines from his mother Janice Ifill’s house, as well as some of the siding. He said a utility pole was also ripped from the ground.
When a DAILY NATION team passed in the afternoon, Ministry of Transport and Works crews were on the job cutting the tree into pieces and removing it.