SOUTH MIAMI, Fla. – A large tree narrowly missed a home in South Miami when it fell during Sunday’s storms, but it did crush a brand new car.
“There is a car buried underneath, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe that the car is underneath.’ I just couldn’t believe it,” homeowner Roberto Elizondo told Local 10 News on Monday.
The homeowner of the corner house said he could not believe his eyes when he stepped outside.
“My wife and kids, they were not in the house, and I was going to go pick them up since it was raining because they had ridden their bikes, and I just opened the door and … surprise!” Elizondo said.
Under the 70-year-old tree was a brand new car that was left smashed after lots of rain came down, accompanied by strong winds.
Hail also fell in parts of South Florida Sunday afternoon.
“I was inside and suddenly I heard this ‘whoosh,’” neighbor Connie Stieger said. “This very, very loud noise, like a train coming through.”
Over in Cutler Bay, heavy rainfall flooded some streets. Parts of a tree also fell, causing damage to power lines.
Back in South Miami where the banyan tree fell, crews were getting ready Monday morning to remove all the tree limbs from the road as quickly and safely as possible.
“I never thought it was this tree, and when I saw it through my front window, I could not believe it. I’ve lived here 40 years and it’s been through hurricanes. I never believed this would happen,” Stieger said.
“It could have been that when my wife and kids told me to pick them up since it was raining, I could have been in the car when this happened. So the situation could have been a lot worse,” Elizondo said. “So right now, it’s just material.”
Neighbor George Padial had a friendly reminder for those who own trees.
“It’s important that you maintain the trees and cut them back as much as we can so when we have storms, we are able to deal with it more easily,” he said.
More storms are expected to move through South Florida on Monday.
Click here for the latest weather updates from Local 10’s Weather Authority.
