Neighborhood Rallies to Remove Fallen Tree

A Hauppauge resident woke up to a sudden surprise from Hurricane Irene on Sunday morning.

“I was sleeping when at 7 a.m. [Sunday], when I got a text from a neighbor that said the tree in my front yard was leaning. I looked out the window and saw part of the sidewalk was lifting," said Jen Neri, of Thomas Drive. "By 7:30 a.m. , when we got out of bed, it was down.

A large, healthy maple tree in Neri's front yard, fell to the strong winds of Hurricane Irene. It ripped up a portion of the sidewalk that was tangled in its roots, which was nearly 10 feet in the air.

The fallen tree blocked off the west entrance to Thomas Court. It posed an immediate problem for local residents, who also could not ahead out west on Townline Road because it was blocked by live electrical wires.

Neri said she was unsure how she was going to remove the tree when men from the neighborhood arrived to help cut and clear the debris from the roadway.

“I live in a very nice neighborhood,” she said.

The maple tree was technically on Town of Smithtown property, between the sidewalk and the street. Neri said she is now waiting for the town to get rid of the rest of the tree and repair the sidewalk.

The homeowner hasn’t been able to get in touch with the Town of Smithtown for an estimate when that will happen, as she, along with thousands of Hauppauge residents is still without power.