Tree Falls on Birmingham Home During Storm Darragh, Family Avoids Injury
A powerful “mighty bang” alerted a mother of three to a massive uprooted tree that struck the back of her property with such force it “wobbled the house.”
Vicky Brennan recounted that the tree, taller than her home, fell against her seven-year-old son’s bedroom at approximately 5:40 PM on Saturday. Fortunately, no family members were injured, though her son was left very distressed.
The incident occurred as high winds from Storm Darragh swept through Smith’s Wood, Birmingham. According to Brennan, the fallen tree impacted three homes along her street.
Speaking with BBC Radio WM, Ms. Brennan described the terrifying moment: “All of a sudden I heard a mighty bang that wobbled the house, and I came running upstairs. A tree from our neighbor’s garden had fallen across our house and hit our little boy’s bedroom.”
She added that she quickly ensured her son was safe and that nothing was broken, though he was in a state of panic.
While the full extent of the damage remains unknown until the tree is removed, Ms. Brennan noted that the home’s guttering has been torn off, and broken tiles now litter the conservatory roof. A tree surgeon is scheduled to visit the property on Monday to assess and remove the tree.
As a precaution, the family has been advised to stay away from the back of the house and avoid entering the conservatory. “Me and my husband haven’t been able to sleep as we’re safe-sleeping with three children, and our youngest is one-and-a-half,” she explained. She added that they had been advised to sleep in the front bedroom with mattresses on the floor.
Despite their ordeal, Brennan praised the support of the local community: “The community has been great, so many people have been coming to check in on us.”
Additional Storm-Related Incidents
Elsewhere in Birmingham, a tragic incident occurred over the weekend when a man died as a tree fell on a car in the Erdington area.
In Yardley Wood, six 60-foot conifer trees collapsed onto fences in fields at Summerfield Stables, a charity focused on fostering interaction between children and horses. Georgina Urwin, the facility’s director, reported that the trees caused structural damage to stable blocks and left the charity without electricity or running water over the weekend.
Urwin said: “I had just moved the horses from the stables into the field ten minutes before the trees fell. We then had to go back out and evacuate all the horses.”
Thankfully, the three horses onsite were unharmed during the incident.
Storm Darragh continues to leave its mark on communities across the region, with cleanup and recovery efforts ongoing.
