Family Home Struck by Uprooted Tree During Storm Darragh

A “mighty bang” alerted a mother of three to an uprooted tree impacting the rear of her property with such force that it “wobbled the house.” Vicky Brennan stated that the tree, which was taller than her residence, fell against her seven-year-old son’s bedroom at approximately 17:40 GMT on Saturday, while he was inside. High winds from Storm Darragh caused the tree to strike three homes on her street in Smith’s Wood, Birmingham. Ms. Brennan reported that although none of her family members were harmed and the tree did not penetrate the house, her son was extremely upset. Recalling Saturday’s events, she told BBC Radio WM: “All of a sudden I heard a mighty bang that wobbled the house and I came running upstairs.” She continued, “A tree from our neighbours garden had fallen across our house and hit our little boys bedroom. “I got him out as quickly as I could and made sure nothing was broken – he was in hysterics.” The full extent of the property damage will not be known until the tree is removed, but the guttering has detached from the side of the house, and broken tiles are “all over the conservatory roof.” A tree surgeon was scheduled to visit on Monday. The family has been advised to avoid the back of the house and not to enter the conservatory. Ms. Brennan said: “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 added, “We’ve been advised to sleep in our bedroom at the front of the house and we’ve got mattresses on the floor.” She also noted: “The community has been great, so many people have been coming to check in on us.” Elsewhere in Birmingham over the weekend, a man died when a tree collapsed onto a car in the Erdington area of the city. In Yardley Wood, six 60 ft conifer trees fell onto fences on fields at Summerfield Stables, a charity that encourages interaction between children and horses. Director Georgina Urwin reported that the facility had no electricity or water over the weekend, with the trees causing damage to stable blocks. She stated: “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.” Ms. Urwin confirmed that the three horses onsite were unharmed. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.