NEW ORLEANS — Half a dozen oak trees along Napoleon Avenue were cut down Saturday after declining in health for years. This comes after multiple historic trees either fell or were cut down across the city due to Monday's flooding, and possibly, according to some experts, improper care.
A spokesperson for the City of New Orleans said eight oak trees in front of Sophie B. Wright Charter School were damaged during unpermitted private contractor work in 2014. Since then they have been in "decline," and on August 19, two were removed. Saturday the remaining six were cut down and hauled away in pieces. A representative from the Department of Parks and Parkways at the scene told WWL-TV that termite damage was also a factor, and that there had been heightened concern over tree safety at Sophie B. Wright after a large limb fell onto a school bus last month.
The statement from the City added that Parks and Parkways is "working with the contractor to restore the area with tree plantings this upcoming planting season."
The removal of the trees was not connected to the strong storms that moved through the area Monday. The City says the flooding, combined with the recent drought, caused a large historic oak to fall across the riverbound side of South Carrollton. According to an arborist, that tree may have also been damaged due to construction and lack of trimming. (link /article/news/local/mayor-latoya-cantrell-new-orleans-louisiana-live-oak-tree-carrollton/289-f36d453f-a94e-4857-a471-1bc888782188).
It was later revealed that issues were reported with two other oak trees, one on Newcomb Place and one on South Solomon Street, and that two others in City Park had been damaged during the storm and had to be removed (link /article/news/local/orleans/oak-trees-city-park-new-orleans-louisiana/289-e7590c8c-c0d6-4d2a-b6fb-5fefebb565bc).