High winds topple redwood, 2 homes partly uninhabitable

Stormy weather downed a large redwood tree in the Berkeley Hills earlier this week, rendering two homes partially uninhabitable, authorities report.

The Berkeley Fire Department said the tree, which was about 5 feet in diameter, struck two houses in the 2200 block of Eunice Street near Spruce Street.

The owner of one of the homes said the tree was more than 100 years old.

She told contributing Scanner photographer Ariel Nava that she felt worse for the redwood than she did about her house, which had been overdue for a remodel.

The tree came down shortly before 1:15 a.m. Tuesday, the Berkeley Fire Department said, amid a half-dozen or so other calls between midnight and 7 a.m. about hazardous conditions caused by strong winds.

Callers described downed trees impacting houses, cars, roadways and powerlines, BFD said.

The redwood tree that fell on Eunice Street was the "most significant call" of the night.

BFD said a resident called 911 after seeing "something wobble and then fall" onto a neighbor's home.

When firefighters arrived on Eunice, they found two homes that had been damaged by the redwood: one with significant damage to the entryway, front porch and a bedroom, and another with damage to the rear rooftop but only minor interior damage.

After realizing the tree might have come down on a bedroom in the first house, firefighters dug through the wreckage to search for injured occupants.

But when they located a bed, they were relieved to find it empty.

They were able to make contact with the homeowner, who had been away that night.

In the house that sustained less damage, one person had been present but was not hurt, BFD said.

City staff from Public Works-Forestry and a city engineer later assessed the damage and yellow-tagged both homes on Eunice, indicating that portions were uninhabitable.

The National Weather Service said wind gusts up to 50 mph were reported that night in the Bay Area, according to KRON4, which was the first to report the downed tree.

Thunderstorms, strong winds expected in Berkeley

More wet weather is expected in Berkeley heading into the weekend, with a wind advisory in effect from 4 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Saturday and a coastal flood advisory in effect until Monday at 1 p.m.

The National Weather Service said "South winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 60 mph" are expected in the days ahead.

Writing on X, the city of Berkeley advised residents to watch out for strong winds from 10 p.m. Friday until 7 a.m. Saturday.

"Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. The combination of wind and moist soils will increase the risk for downed trees," the National Weather Service (NWS) said. "Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution."

The NWS also said people may want to bring their holiday decorations inside "if you don't want [them] to become your neighbor's."

Boaters should also take note, with a small craft advisory in effect in Berkeley on Friday from 3-9 p.m. and a gale warning in effect from Friday at 9 p.m. until 7 a.m. Saturday.

See a more detailed Berkeley weather forecast.

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