St. Teresa Church in Brooklyn with Dangerous Storm Damage

That didn't take long.

(photos: Jason Scott Jones)

I was headed on bike to the bar to administer my cabin fever and I half considered doing some "Storm Surveying" post Hurricane Sandy.

After two blocks I saw the metal facade had been torn from St. Teresa of Avila Church on Classon Av and Sterling Place in Crown Heights, Brooklyn (I know some folks insist it's Prospect Heights now but despite what googlemaps says, Washington Avenue is the boarder and where I stop tolerating real estate delusions).

I know the church well having attended it as a kid. It's part of the Catholic Diocese and it's towers were built in 1905. I've seen it take hits from storms, usually blizzards back in the day, but this is the most extensive damage I've seen the church endure in 30 years.

The street below is taped off but otherwise there isnt much way to know that the facade is dangling dangerously overhead so be careful if you're in the area.

Update 10/31/12 Councilmember Letitia (Tish) James has exressed that she's aware of the situation and it is being addressed, the street may be closed to avoid potential danger.

photo Wednesday: Danger overhead

(above: a view of Park bordered by Atlantic, Washington, Underhill and Dean Street, nearly destroyed Ny last week's Tornado and lightning storm)

As I took these photos of damaged trees at this small park, two men sat on a bench inside the yellow caution taped off area. The photo below shows a large limb that is severed and laying on other branches but essentially unsecured. two men sat
on a bench nearby.



I actually mean to sound like an alarmist when I say I hope no one is killed this week by a tree from last week's storm.

Several large tree limbs are severed or nearly severed and are essentially hang over people's heads. I witnessed and took photos of several trees who's branches seemed far from secure (as of Monday 9/20) and I wonder if anything is being done about the danger posed.

The photo above is from Lafayette and Classon avenues and it shows a large limb dozens of feet above the sidewalk with a frayed twisted connection. Look at the closeup below and ask yourself,"would
I feel comfortable walking under that tree?"


(note the twisted bare part of the branch that is the only thing preventing it from falling)

I listened to the local news talk about the clean up of the debris from last weeks storm but throuhout Prospect and Crown Heights, Clinton Hill and Bedford-Stuyvesant I still see several trees and heavy limbs dangling like Damocles. Every day since last week I become more concerned about the possibility of inadvertent death resulting from inaction.


(the hanging branches in this photo are
from a tree on Classon btw Lefferts and Atlantic near the church in the next photo)


I was shocked so many trees came down, Brooklyn before four years ago never got a tornado in my life and I expect most people were similarly shocked. So it seems reasonably outside most new yorkers are not thinking that under a clear blue sky like today's a hunk of damaged tree might still fall with enough weight to kill. That reality probably sinks deeper into the backs
of most new yorker's minds with each passing day.

Many of the damaged trees are in parks and near schools, it's unlikely that children are going to have enough awareness to consider falling tree limbs a danger. Most trees I saw had little more than some yellow
"caution" tape to keep people out of harm's way.

(The large branch hanging from that tree is in a small park connecting to the middle school on Sterling Pl. between Washington And Classon Avenues)


(a wider view of the photo above where a middle school playground is)

So, rather than wait for the city to announce that it has mapped all the precariously hanging trees and that it has a plan to keep passersby away until the damaged trees can be cleared. I'm writing this to urge concerned people to call 311 or local precient or politician and keep further tragedy from happening.