A large 20 foot tall dead tree 30 inches in diameter fell out of the ground Monday morning destroying an above ground pool and bringing down utility lines and a power pole.
The incident occurred around 7:30 in the 400 block of North Washington Street.
There were initial fears of a water line break, but that turned out to be water from the 4 foot tall pool that was crushed. While the tree fell short of hitting the Eye Clinic Building, the electric line was damaged and smoke was detected in the building. Salem Assistant Fire Chief Jim Cerny said there was no actual
fire, but an electrical surge may have caused damage to a computer. Staff was allowed back in the building when no other problems were found.
The Salem Eye Clinic is expected to be without power until noon as Ameren makes repairs to the downed line and broken pole.
Those with appointments can contact the Eye Clinic for rescheduling. Cerny says all the limbs had already been removed from the dead tree, but the trunk and two large limbs that split into a v-shape was still standing. The tree had just been turned in by Ameren for removal during recent tree trimming efforts.
