Fallen tree displaces Woodland Hills mom, toddler; repairs could take months

LOS ANGELES - A mother and her baby were displaced this week after swift winds brought a eucalyptus tree down on the Woodland Hills home they rent, and repairs are coming slowly.

The tree fell Thursday near the intersection if Ybarra Road and Topanga Canyon Boulevard, blocking the street and damaging the house that Brandy Berry lives in with her baby. The city brought crews in to chop the tree up and eventually reopen the street. 

When the tree hit the house, debris rained down on Berry and narrowly missed her toddler Aaron. Days later she's still suffering and went to a doctor for help.

"It actually landed on me," Berry said. "I'm still pretty foggy-headed. The doctor used the term discombobulated."

The cleanup and the damage caused by the rest of the tree, however, is the responsibility of the owner of the land from which the tree fell. The repairs could take as long as nine months, and according to Berry, her landlord is having trouble getting ahold of the neighbor who would be responsible for the repairs. Right now, Berry and her baby are staying at a hotel thanks to the Red Cross, but that's not a permanent solution.

"The particles and everything that's in that room from the walls being open, the insulation, everything, it's just not safe to breathe in," said Berry. "The structure's still not safe."

Berry has started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds in the event that she and her child need to relocate and find a new temporary home.