A residential property in Porto Alegre suffered partial destruction when a large tree collapsed onto its roof during a powerful but short-lived storm in the early hours of Friday morning. The incident took place on Rua Domênico Feoli in the Bairro Mário Quintana neighborhood, located in the city's northern zone.
According to the homeowner, Marilausa Karlins, the violent windstorm lasted only about three minutes. The tree fell around 11:30 PM, startling her and her husband as they were preparing for bed. She described the sound as a massive crash that brought the entire neighborhood running to help.
The most severely damaged section of the house was the bedroom belonging to Karlins' grandchildren. Fortunately, the children were not at home at the time of the incident, which she expressed immense relief about. The couple took shelter in another room of the partially damaged structure.
Karlins revealed that the danger posed by the tree had been previously identified by residents, who had contacted the local municipal government about the risk. Despite multiple requests for action, including pleas for the tree to be trimmed or removed, no preventive measures were taken by the authorities. The homeowners stated they lacked the necessary equipment to address the hazard themselves.
The aftermath of the collapse left the residence without electrical power as of Friday morning. While the Fire Department responded to the scene, they did not undertake the removal of the massive fallen tree. The homeowner emphasized the scale of the damage, noting that the roof and numerous other parts of the home would need to be completely replaced.
The Porto Alegre Defesa Civil (Civil Defense) reported that this was one of 15 incidents of damage caused by the storm that struck the city between Thursday night and Friday morning. The agency was attending to the situation at the affected property.
Based on reporting from g1.