BART train runs over tree on tracks near Balboa Park Station, causes delays

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - High winds and heavy rain caused trees to topple Tuesday throughout the Bay Area, including one tree that shut down BART service at two stations for more than three hours.

In San Francisco one tree fell across the BART train tracks just south of the Balboa Park station about 6 p.m. A BART train ran over the tree during the evening commute. BART officials had to shut down service between 24th Street and Daly City while crews struggled in the rain to rescue stranded passeners, and remove the tree and the disabled train.

BART officials said no one was injured, but the shutdown caused delays and many riders had to wait in the rain for Muni buses and bus bridges.

One rider, Monica Burkhart says her friend was on board the disabled train.

"She was on the train. She said they hit a tree. They were stuck for about an hour I guess on the tracks and they finally got a rescue train," said Burkhart who was trying to make it home herself on BART to Redwood City.

"Trying to get home. Stuck. Taking Muni. Trying to figure out how we're going to get home to the peninsula," Burkhart said.

"I probably won't get home til maybe 11:30 due to the weather," said another passenger CeCe Lawrence of Antioch who was also stranded.

The storm's high winds and rain -soaked ground caused other problems across the city.

Fire crews worked to clear a tree that fell across one lane of the Geneva off-ramp from 280 south.

In the Sunnydale neighborhood, a 70-foot Monterey pine tree fell onto two cars about nine a.m., and also ruptured a gas main.

Juan Gutierrez says he heard the tree come down on his uncle's car.

"It started screeching and crunching and then it just totally fell down as soon as it hit he cars, the tire, air, just swoosh," Gutierrez said.

In Pacific Heights a tree came down on Jackson Street near Divisadero, tangling with muni and electric wires

In Japantown on Fillmore street, a tree snapped in the wind leaving debris blocking traffic.

"Since Saturday night to this afternoon, we've lost 47 trees out of our 220 parks," said Dennis Kern, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Operations Director.

In Golden Gate Park, yellow tape surrounded a giant tree that toppled over near Crossover Drive.
Another tree on MLK Way was uprooted from the ground.

"The ground...where the roots systems are is fully saturated right now from all of the rain. So as the wind blows on it.the tree can't rely on its root system to resist it," said Kern.

Kern says trees that haven't been pruned to open up space in the tree canopy are most at risk in these storms because their canopies act like sails.