58-year-old Peter van der Veen and his wife woke up early on Saturday from a huge bang. What they had feared for years has happened: one of the gigantic oaks in the Wilhelminapark in Meppel has fallen on their house.
“Fortunately, our son and daughter were not at home, but with friends,” says 58-year-old Van der Veen. “Otherwise there would certainly have been injuries or worse.” De Meppeler, who has lived near the Wilhelminapark for eight years, says that he has often asked the municipality of Meppel to cut down the tree. “The oak was very crooked, in the direction of our house. It had to go wrong at some point.”
His now 21-year-old daughter did not dare to sleep at home during a storm, she was so afraid that the tree would crush her. According to Van der Veen, many trees have fallen in the Wilhelmina Park with strong winds and storms. “They weren’t half as crooked as this one.” The municipality did send people to look at the oak, which is at least 100 years old. “They then did so-called tensile tests with weights.” It was a monumental tree that stood in a group of four oaks.
‘Sawing was not an option’
,, We were always told to look back was not an option. The previous owners of the house were also at odds with the municipality about it.” Is the church to blame? “They played with the safety of my family. It was obvious that the situation was dangerous.”
It is a mystery why the oak tree fell over on Saturday morning. “Maybe he was top-heavy now. I also do not know it.” The oak would weigh between 15,000 and 20,000 kilograms.
Two large cranes have been working for hours to get the tree off the roof. The fire brigade has now cut the immense oak into somewhat manageable pieces. There are large, thick branches in the street. The many meters high trunk has just been removed. The damage to the beautiful home is considerable. Van der Veen does not dare to make an estimate. Someone from the insurance will come on Monday.
De Meppeler, teacher of technology and woodworking at the practical education department of Stad en Esch, assumes that the damage will be compensated. There is a tarpaulin over the broken roof to prevent rainwater from entering. The question is whether the house is safe enough to sleep in, Van der Veen was told. “We have just been home from vacation for two days. I doubt. Actually, I would like to sleep in my own house.”
2023-08-05 13:16:40
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