A sizable oak tree limb came crashing down onto a home and SUV in a Hollywood neighborhood, causing not just damage to personal property but also a disruption in electrical services. Per a Local 10 report, the incident occurred along Washington Street, near South Dixie Highway. Residents found themselves without power after the tree's fall damaged a nearby power pole, prompting Florida Power & Light crews to initiate repairs. "My daughter started screaming -- she was very upset," Nicholas Fontanez, a resident of the affected home, recounted to Local 10.
While the NBC Miami coverage initially explored the angle that the tree's fall today could have been due to a lightning strike, the claim was not immediately confirmed. The National Weather Service reported that no lightning was reported in the area at the time of the incident. Nicholas Fontanez said he was unsure what caused the accident, describing it as a freak event, and expressed concern about the repair costs, adding that he hoped the damage would be minimal.
The second incident involved Hollywood Fire Rescue responding to a call around 3 a.m. on the 2100 block of Washington Street to investigate a downed part of a tree on a vehicle's windshield. Although the vehicle endured only minor damage and there were no reported injuries, the tree's fall did break a power pole. An eyewitness mentioned that FPL crews assessed the situation, which was further complicated by the fact that storms had passed through the area at around 2 a.m.
Authorities, amidst their investigations, have yet to conclude what exactly toppled the tree. The Hollywood Police have completed an incident report, according to fire rescue officials. In the meantime, Fontanez and his family are relieved the damage was not more extensive and that they were unharmed by the close call. He is "happy that his family is OK," he told Local 10. Further details regarding the full extent of the damage and the repair timeline will become clearer once tree trimmers remove the large branch and electricians restore full power to the neighborhood.
