VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) — It grew, and then it leaned, and then it fell. A Southern red oak estimated by a tree expert to be at least 100 feet tall struck the home of Ernestine Townsend, 80, on Northgate Drive four weeks ago.

Townsend was shocked, but not surprised.

“My daughter called me and says, ‘Mommy, the tree is down,” she said. “I knew it was going to happen.”

Townsend began sounding the alarm years ago after Hurricane Matthew. The tree sat on her property, but Townsend says work done by city crews along the creek that runs through her back yard put it in jeopardy.

Townsend videoed the tree listing at about a 30-degree angle the day before it fell.

Garrett Forrest, an aptly-named certified arborist and owner of Grateful Tree Service, looked at the downed tree Friday.

“Whenever we have trees growing on slopes like that that are prone to be wet, and they get this big, and they’re growing at an angle, it does increase the risk of falling exponentially,” Forrest said. “Now, this same tree in the front yard would be a lot less likely to fail.”

He examined the trunk, branches and roots.

“It looks like we have some root rot going on — most likely some honey rot is what it’s called,” Forrest said. “We’re so close to the water. That kind of fungus really thrives in environments that stay wet.”

But the city said it was ready and willing to remove the tree before it crashed into Townsend’s home. On Sept. 15, the day before it fell, the city had a tree contractor contact her.

The city sent us the following statement about what happened next:

“We recognize this has been a frustrating and stressful situation for the homeowner. City records show several interactions, dating back to 2009, related to tree concerns at 3220 Northgate Drive.

The tree is located on private property. Public Works requested that it be evaluated and addressed because the health of the tree may have been impacted by the 2018 ditch maintenance activities done by City staff. After review, the City contracted for the tree’s removal through the approved procurement process.

On September 15, 2025, the contractor asked the homeowner to sign a release for a crane to be placed on her driveway to remove the tree. The homeowner chose not to sign the release, and the contractor was unable to remove the tree. Unfortunately, before an alternate plan could be arranged, the tree fell on September 16.

We understand this has been a difficult situation. The remaining debris is considered the owner’s responsibility. The resident communicated to Risk Management that the incident has been turned over to an insurance company. The company is welcome to contact the City if further information or documentation is required.”

But by Monday morning, work was already underway to remove the tree from atop Townsend’s ranch home.

Forrest brought a crew from Grateful Tree Service equipped with a crane, cherry picker, saws and other apparatus.

He has seen the damage falling trees can do both structurally and emotionally.

“The stress, anxiety and the damage for the homeowner, it’s just a sad situation, and it’s something that happens way, way too often,” Forrest said.

Townsend was grateful for the coordination that WAVY provided in getting her problem solved.

“I appreciate it so much,” Townsend said. “Without WAVY 10 coming out and talking to me, and letting me explain, it would have never happened.”

Forrest is working out an arrangement with Townsend’s insurance so that she does not have to pay anything out of pocket.