Residents of a Tameside home experienced a terrifying ordeal during Storm Claudia when a colossal tree crashed into their property, with the impact initially mistaken for an explosion.
Chaos and Evacuation
The incident occurred late on Friday night as the storm battered the UK with high winds. An Elm tree, located within the grounds of Milton St John's Primary School in Mossley, was uprooted by the ferocious gusts and sent crashing into the end of a row of terraced houses.
The three adults inside the property reported hearing a 'massive bang' and immediately feared a bomb had gone off. They promptly alerted the emergency services and their landlord, Danny Wilco, 36.
Mr Wilco, who owns the property, recounted his initial disbelief. "At first I thought it might be a branch or something, but then I started getting more calls from neighbours. When I got here I thought 'well its more than a branch!'" He swiftly ensured all occupants were safely evacuated from the damaged building.
Significant Structural Damage
The fallen tree caused extensive damage to the house. According to the landlord, the impact punctured the roof and left the gable wall leaning precariously.
As of Saturday, the area remained cordoned off for public safety. The road was closed to traffic from the junction with Carrhill Road down to Milton Street, and tree specialists were called to the scene to assess the damage and coordinate the removal of the massive trunk.
Mr Wilco reflected on a potential silver lining, noting, "If it would have gone the other way on a school day it would have gone straight into the school, so its quite lucky in that sense really." He also revealed that the tree is believed to be "the only Elm tree left in Mossley."
A Wider Pattern of Storm Destruction
This event was not an isolated one for the property owner, nor for the region. Storm Claudia unleashed gusts of 50 to 60mph and delivered over 20mm of rainfall within a 24-hour period, leading to widespread disruption.
Mr Wilco, who owns multiple properties across Tameside and Oldham, stated he had to deal with around a dozen separate storm-related incidents. "I had a roof come off in Shaw, a huge retaining a wall come down and smash into three houses. Roller shuts blown in, trees coming, flooding," he listed. His reaction to the latest news was one of weary resignation: "So by the time I was told about this one I wasn't surprised and was just laughing. If you don't laugh you'll cry."
The storm's impact was felt across the area, with dozens of trees reported down. In a similar incident, specialists had to clear another fallen tree that had landed on a terrace of homes in Edgeley, Stockport. The severe weather also caused significant disruptions to railway services, tram networks, and major routes.
