NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The teenage boy who was critically injured when a tree fell in Jackson Square back in July has finally opened his eyes but remains hospitalized and non-verbal two months after the incident.
The city said Thursday that extreme heat conditions combined with weeks of little rainfall have exacerbated the issue of tree failures citywide.
“The failure of these live oaks represents a loss in environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration, stormwater management, and heat island reduction,” said Michael Karam, Director of the city’s Department of Parks and Parkways. “Typically, from what we see as a department, we’ll see a large, mature tree failure maybe once a year. Truly, given heat, drought and a 25-year rain event as it was called, we’re surprised to see this many failures in such a short time period.”
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Karam was referring to the Labor Day showers that brought heavy rainfall and flooding to the New Orleans metro area, dumping 7.5 inches of rain in one area in Lakeview.
The storm preceded multiple large trees falling across the city, including one that fell on Carrollton Avenue on Tuesday that injured a woman and shut down the thoroughfare while crews completed assessments.
Karam said that same tree was inspected in August and found to be healthy.
“We made a corrective prune, and that inspection determined that it was still in a healthy state, and it was set for a routine trim,” he said. “We’re aware of the additional stresses. I mean drive down Broad, it’s not just the trees. The grass is brown and it’s September, and it shouldn’t be.”
Morris Bart, whose firm is representing the family of the boy injured by the falling tree in Jackson Square, was present at the press conference Karam gave on Thursday.
“With seven major tree failures over the last two months, how many do we need before they stop calling it an anomaly?” Bart asked Karam, who did not answer.
Bart, in a separate press conference later Thursday, said the city should be more proactive when it comes to addressing issues with trees.
According to Karam, a 2019 inventory showed 110,000 trees citywide that are on public rights-of-way.
Bart said the same inventory, which he said analyzed all 110,000 trees, only found 11 to be in critical condition. He also drew attention to a text, between Bayou Tree and an employee with the city, that showed the city was aware of issues with the Jackson Square tree days before it fell.
“After the first branch fell June 27 in Jackson Square, the Mayor said we have had it inspected by an arborist and the tree was fine,” Bart said. “Despite that, they have never released that report. If it exists, we’re going to get it through legal means through discovery in our lawsuit.”
Matthew Hemmer, an attorney working with Bart who is representing the family of the boy, said the boy has a long road to recovery ahead, and still remains in the hospital.
Karam said contractors are empowered to trim or remove branches or trees when necessary, without seeking city permission.
“They’re a city employee and it’s their decision as a professional to make that,” Karam said.
Bart, who has ongoing litigation with the city, said the city needs to do a better job of proactively addressing trees before they fall.
He said the text has been admitted to evidence in the lawsuit, and that his office has not made contact with the woman injured earlier this week when the tree fell on Carrollton Ave. But he said to anticipate updates on the ongoing court case.
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