A Seminole County homeowner says a tree fell on his home nearly two months after Hurricane Irma swept through Central Florida.

  • No one in part of house where tree fell
  • County official: Irma likely put stress on the tree
  • Recent dry weather may have loosened soil holding tree in place

It happened last Sunday morning, Nov. 5, when the weather was calm with no wind.

Bob and Linda Wiseman said they were baking cookies in the house when they heard the tree fall.

“We were just sitting in the house and all of a sudden it sounded like there was a huge explosion,” said Bob Wiseman.

What’s so strange is when it happened.

“It was a beautiful clear day and very peaceful out, and we were enjoying the peace of the morning,” Bob explained.

Luckily, no one was in the part of the house where the huge tree crashed.

“We ran out the front door to get out of the house, and then when we saw the tree falling on top of the house," Bob said. "We were rather stunned and then just stood there for a while. The large limbs went through the attic and punched six or seven holes in five different rooms in the house."

Seminole County Extension Agent Hannah Wooten told us a certified arborist would have to take a look at the fallen tree to determine exactly what caused it to fall.

However, Wooten also said Hurricane Irma likely put stress on the tree, and while after the storm all of the wet, sandy dirt at the base of the tree likely kept the root base intact, recent dry weather loosened that sandy soil up and potentially allowed the tree to fall.

Wooten went on to say trees can fall months after a hurricane hits, and that laurel oaks like the one that fell on the Wisemans' home don’t have as much of a root structure, and are more vulnerable to hurricanes.

If homeowners have older trees, Wooten suggests having an arborist inspect them after a storm. Homeowners can find more information on trees and how hurricanes affect them by visiting: