Two escape unhurt in Rohais after oak tree felled by winds
TWO drivers had a lucky escape when a tree fell on their cars as Storm Arwen swept in on Friday evening.
The tree came down in the Rohais about 50m down from the entrance to St Pierre Park Hotel on the opposite side of the road.
A police officer and the Guernsey Fire & Rescue Service attended,
‘The drivers spoke to the fire crew and though they were both shaken, fortunately they were not injured,’ said PC Brett Hewlett.
Two windows in a Kia were broken and the roof was dented while a Mercedes had a cracked window and scratches to the bodywork. The vehicles are thought to have been travelling in the opposite direction to one another and both were able to be driven away.
The incident happened just before 6pm.
Tree surgeons from Special Branch attended to clear the debris.
They were initially impeded by drivers who ignored the signage and drove through the closed road.
Special Branch managing director Simon Marshall said the tree that fell was an evergreen oak that was more than 100 years old.
The road was cleared and reopened by about 8.30pm.
Smaller weather-related incidents occurred throughout Saturday and civil protection volunteers were called in to help with things such as road closures.
The worst of the storm went through the Bailiwick during the hours of darkness,
The strongest gust recorded at Guernsey Airport was one of 47.4 knots [54mph] at 6.25am on Saturday.
A Met Office spokesman said a gust of 52 knots [60mph] had been recorded in Alderney.
Trees were brought down during the early hours of Saturday at Route de Cobo, near Saumarez Park, at the Route de la Hougue du Pommier/Route de Carteret junction, Castel, at Fort Road, St Peter Port, and at Rue du Manoir, Forest.
In some cases the roads were blocked completely but the efforts of tree surgeons ensured that just about all were clear by daylight.
All of the scheduled sailings at the Harbour were cancelled on Saturday, including the Channel Chieftain V which would have brought the national newspapers from Jersey.
At Guernsey Airport services were delayed or cancelled and flying only really started towards the end of the day.
