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Fallen trees cause problems across Bay Area in wake of Wednesday's powerful storm

Crews keep busy cleaning up trees downed in the storm
Crews keep busy cleaning up trees downed in the storm 02:14

One of the major worries about Wednesday's storm was the wind after the heavy rains weakened the root systems of many trees, with downed trees causing problems across the Bay Area.

A large tree slammed into an apartment building in Daly City Wednesday evening as the storm battered the Bay Area with heavy rain and gusty winds.  

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More than one tree came down at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, with one causing damage to one of the perimeter fences. 

The trees fell Thursday morning at the former home of the 49ers. One eucalyptus tree split in half, knocking down two native Monterey Cyprus trees, which then damaged the main entrance gate of the stadium..

Local runner Cam Ashbaugh heard the sounds as they fell.

"I mean it was not that unexpected. Trees have come down here before when there's been a lot of rain and wind," said Ashbaugh.

The tree also hit a lamp, which forced crews to temporarily cut the power at the stadium until repairs are complete. .

Rec and Park the rain and wind as a factor in the tree fall.

Ashbaugh, who said he was a big fan of the surrounding trees, still remains cautious around them.

"I generally try to spend as little time under large trees as I can," he explained.

Another tree fell and took out a few power lines near the border of Mountain View and Los Altos that crews were working to clear for hours. Local residents had their power cut as repairs continued.

One local neighbor said he was relieved no one was injured when it came down.

"I'm glad I wasn't standing there when it fell," he said. "But it's enormous. The tree is huge."

"Whenever you get saturation there's always a higher risk," said Matt Keller with Santa Clara Valley Water. "And of course, when you've got winds coming in, they can knock down those trees."

There were no injuries reported where the trees fell at Kezar Stadium either. Just another goodbye to a few longstanding neighbors in the area.

"These trees are really majestic, and this place is beautiful because of them," said Ashbaugh. "So it's kind of sad when they come down too."

San Francisco officials are encouraging residents to be aware of trees during windy weather and encourage people to stay away from them during storms.

A second atmospheric river storm is expected to arrive in the Bay Area on Sunday.

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