ST. LOUIS, Missouri (First Alert 4) – Trent Osby said he woke up to the sound of a crash during an overnight thunderstorm Friday.

“My wife woke up and I woke up because we both said the same thing: ‘What was that noise?'”

As the sun rose, Osby found several branches lying all over Cambridge Lane. He said he was frustrated because he knew the branches came from the dead tree in front of his house.

“I’ve filed ticket after ticket for the city to try to cut down these trees,” he said. “The cleanup has mostly fallen on me because they’re in front of my house.”

Friday’s incident is not Osby’s first problem with trees near his home. In July 2023, a branch from a tree on the side of his house broke through his roof. Over the years, branches have shattered car windshields.

According to his service request on the Citizen Service Bureau website, the removal of the trees was first scheduled for August 2022.

When First Alert 4 contacted the Forest Service on Friday, a representative told us the clearance was scheduled for August 9, 2024, and that due to staffing shortages, it could take six months to a year to clear the tree.

According to the City of St. Louis, there are 21 open positions in the Forestry Department. Staffing levels are an issue that First Alert 4 has been dealing with for years.

“I realize they’re behind and understaffed, but this should have been at the top of their list, this tree has been on their list since 2022,” Osby said.

Osby said he hopes the trees will be removed soon so no one gets hurt.

“The city should realize that it is a danger and do something about it. Where there is a real danger, something has to be done about it,” he said.

The city said there was one emergency call for major tree damage and 20 emergency calls for smaller trees in connection with the overnight storms.

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