A massive tree fell on a house in East Elmhurst, apparently due to strong winds, leaving extensive damage behind.
The quiet Queens neighborhood where this took place is about a mile away from LaGuardia airport. Strong winds overnight and this morning apparently led to the tree being lifted out of its roots and falling onto the nearby home.
According to neighbors, the shocking incident, happened around 6 a.m. Thankfully no one was injured.
The Department of Buildings placed a sign on the front door asking its residents to leave the property given the extent of the damage. NBC New York was told that the tree fell into the roof just above the living room area of the home.
DOB inspectors who deemed house not safe to occupy say the tree trunk causes extensive structural damage to a 10-by-10 foot section of the roof causing a partial ceiling collapse.
There was also some minor damage to the house next door. We spoke with its homeowner describing the scary situation when the tree crashed on his neighbor’s rooftop.
"Like around 6, 6:30 in the morning there was a very large noise, a very large bang," neighbor Mohammad Islam said. "I didn't realize it because I guess the tree fell more on that house than mine. The Fire Department came after [...] they knocked on my door, I came out and saw the tree."
High winds have been a concern Monday in the tri-state area.
