3 years living under threat before tree fell
Sarah Bond's family lived in fear under the leaning Douglas fir for almost three years before it finally fell on their house.
Where this was said
Three Years of Fear: Living Under the Leaning Tree
At 20:12 · chapter starts 19:40
With the permit denied and a fine of more than $10,000 hanging over any unauthorized removal, Sarah and Joel try to make peace with the looming Douglas fir. They get a dog and two Siamese cats. They squint at the tree from different angles, hoping to convince themselves it will miss the house. They can't. Every windstorm becomes a sleepless night of cracking branches and shooting upright in bed. Winter is the worst, with Portland's ice storms. By the time a January storm rolls in — winds at 40 to 50 miles an hour, the power out — the family has been living under this threat for nearly three years. Sarah's daughter JoJo has a friend over that Saturday morning, and the two girls head upstairs to look for the cats.
Fine of $10,000+ for cutting without permit
In Portland, cutting down a tree without a permit can result in a fine exceeding $10,000.
The Tree Falls — Directly Onto the Girls' Bedroom
During a January ice storm with 40–50 mph winds, the Douglas fir Sarah Bond had been denied permission to remove came crashing down on her house — directly onto the closet where her daughter JoJo and a friend had gone to look for cats. Everyone survived, but barely.
Ice storm winds 40–50 mph when tree fell
The Portland ice storm during which the Douglas fir fell on Sarah Bond's house had winds of 40 to 50 miles per hour.
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