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Multiple trees down across L.A., crushing cars and blocking streets

Strong winds wreak havoc on city streets, leaving trail of damaged vehicles
Strong winds wreak havoc on city streets, leaving trail of damaged vehicles 02:44

Several trees came down overnight due to high winds, crushing cars in some places and blocking roadway across L.A.

In Porter Ranch, a 50-foot-tall tree on San Fernando Mission Blvd. near Reseda Blvd. and the 118 Freeway came down on top of a parked vehicle Monday morning. Lanes were blocked.

LADWP crews were on the scene in West Los Angeles cutting up a massive tree that crushed three cars on Sardis Ave. between Bentley Ave. and Sepulveda Blvd. near the 10/405 interchange. The tree came down at about 1:30 a.m. Monday. 

In Hollywood, another large tree came down around 10 p.m. Sunday at Sycamore and Franklin avenues. No property damage was reported there. Crews were in the process of clearing that scene.

In Van Nuys, yet another tree was reported down at 1:20 a.m., blocking the Metro Orange bus line at Sepulveda.

Kevin Eckert, an arborist and President of Arbor Global, explained why even after several weeks of dry weather the trees are still being impacted by the series of powerful storms that hit the Southland. 

"The soil is still saturated, so the roots don't have good holding," he said. "The winds add that load to the leaves and the crown and start pushing them over."

He says that in order to prevent the same from occurring at your home, have the crown of the tree trimmed to lighten the load. 

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