Redwood Trees Fall in Muir Woods on Christmas Eve, 1 Dead (buy, cost)

[SFBayBoomer]

"Officials said the man was among three people hiking in the area when at least five trees toppled onto the trail. The second person was struck by a fallen tree and was sent to the hospital for treatment, while a third person escaped unharmed."

https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/20...tta-minnesota/

[Ruth4Truth]

"The trees may have been weakened by recent rains"...?! The trees need rain; they thrive on rain. What kind of a reason is that to explain 5 trees toppling in the same area? What about all the other trees in the park, that experienced the same rain? As if rain is something unusual in that part of Marin.

Sad that someone (apparently an immigrant? Or maybe 2nd generation?) came to see our beautiful trees, and it cost him his life. RIP

[Tulemutt]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

"The trees may have been weakened by recent rains"...?! The trees need rain; they thrive on rain. What kind of a reason is that to explain 5 trees toppling in the same area? What about all the other trees in the park, that experienced the same rain? As if rain is something unusual in that part of Marin.

Sad that someone (apparently an immigrant? Or maybe 2nd generation?) came to see our beautiful trees, and it cost him his life. RIP

Maybe they’re fed up and striking back ...

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

"The trees may have been weakened by recent rains"...?! The trees need rain; they thrive on rain. What kind of a reason is that to explain 5 trees toppling in the same area? What about all the other trees in the park, that experienced the same rain? As if rain is something unusual in that part of Marin.

Sad that someone (apparently an immigrant? Or maybe 2nd generation?) came to see our beautiful trees, and it cost him his life. RIP

The massive rooting system of a redwood, though extensive, can be quite shallow especially in Coastal redwoods as those found in Muir Woods - and it is more likely for this type of redwood to 'topple' in heavy rain/wind and/or through soil/root damage (though certainly not common).

That said, while definitely sad (no matter who it was), a freak accident is a freak accident.

[Screenwriter70]

Originally Posted by Tulemutt

Maybe they’re fed up and striking back ...

Beware the trees! LOL.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by CorporateCowboy

The massive rooting system of a redwood, though extensive, can be quite shallow especially in Coastal redwoods as those found in Muir Woods - and it is more likely for this type of redwood to 'topple' in heavy rain/wind and/or through soil/root damage (though certainly not common).

That said, while definitely sad (no matter who it was), a freak accident is a freak accident.

Not knowing the immediate environment around the trees & their root system, we can't conjecture, buy maybe root damage was the issue. No wind was reported, otherwise, strong winds would have been the obvious culprit. It's very odd, and makes one wonder if there will be more events like this in the not-too-distant future. More info needed. I mean, do we suddenly have to worry about going hiking in the many redwood forests in the greater Bay Area and beyond, just because of some rain? WTH?!

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Not knowing the immediate environment around the trees & their root system, we can't conjecture, buy maybe root damage was the issue. No wind was reported, otherwise, strong winds would have been the obvious culprit. It's very odd, and makes one wonder if there will be more events like this in the not-too-distant future. More info needed. I mean, do we suddenly have to worry about going hiking in the many redwood forests in the greater Bay Area and beyond, just because of some rain? WTH?!

No, we don't know anything more (for now) than what was reported on the local news (including the tidbit about coastal redwoods specifically); and the explanation in re: their shallow roots and various issues in the soil which may compromise their root system making them more susceptible to 'toppling' than other types of redwoods. That said, I agree more info is needed.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by CorporateCowboy

No, we don't know anything more (for now) than what was reported on the local news (including the tidbit about coastal redwoods specifically); and the explanation in re: their shallow roots and various issues in the soil which may compromise their root system making them more susceptible to 'toppling' than other types of redwoods. That said, I agree more info is needed.

Thanks for contributing what little you were able to glean from the news reports.

[CorporateCowboy]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Thanks for contributing what little you were able to glean from the news reports.

You're welcome; the point needed to be made re: the root system, specifically, on coastal redwoods and the potential for vulnerability/damage due to a variety of natural (and other) factors.

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by CorporateCowboy

You're welcome; the point needed to be made re: the root system, specifically, on coastal redwoods and the potential for vulnerability/damage due to a variety of natural (and other) factors.

This is exactly why some trees or groups of trees are fenced off in some of the parks.