Winds uproot 30-year-old tree

Wind gusts of 25 to 30 mph blew over a large narrow-leaf eucalyptus tree Tuesday night — a plant that took root at least 30 years ago.

Richard and Anne-Marie Barcus moved to Havau 35 years ago, and a few years later they planted the tree in the front yard of their residence in the 3000 block of Marcaibo Way.

“My wife heard a loud boom in the night, but I wouldn’t have even thought it would be this tree falling,” Richard Barcus said.

The tree toppled down around 9 p.m., narrowly missing the Barcus’ new wrought iron fence as well as a vehicle parked in their neighbor’s driveway, Richard Barcus said.

The fallen tree appeared to have caused some damage to the homeowners’ retaining stucco wall, but Richard Barcus said he knows just the person to call to repair it without a problem.

The couple said they are feeling a sense of loss in regard to the old tree that has been stationed in their yard for so many years. Richard Barcus said he scheduled a tree removal service to arrive Tuesday afternoon to take the tree away one piece at a time.

Expert senior meteorologist Ken Clark, of Accuweather.com, said five weather stations in the Havasu area reported 25-35 mph gusts around the time of the incident. Clark said wind gusts reported throughout the day Wednesday were about 40-45 mph.

Today wind gusts are expected to be 15-25 mph, decreasing into the afternoon, Clark said.

Temperatures today are expected to remain on the cooler side in the upper 60s during the day with a warming trend to follow into the weekend, he said.

Weekend daytime temps are expected to be in the lower 80s moving into the upper 80s for daytime highs the first part of next week, Clark said.

You may contact the reporter at jhanson@havasunews.com.