A tree falls in Haddonfield, and a recovery effort begins [The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Oct. 31--When did a 65-ton crane, Facebook, deductible dilemmas, cracking wood, a furball-sized white Maltese guard dog named Cleo, and Superstorm Sandy come together?

When a giant oak tree fell on the home of Stephen, Tricia and Madison Castellano in Haddonfield in the middle of Monday night. Yes, a dark and stormy night.

Knowing that the storm killed dozens of people, Stephen Castellano is grateful his family survived their personal brush with nature. But they were also key players in this one episode of the homeowner-recovery phase of Sandy, and the many supporting characters are emblematic of the business and government activity that is churning after the storm.

Insurance call-center operators and local agents were involved. Builders who put an addition on Castellano's home years ago came to check for structural damage. A five-man crew from the tree service brought two cranes. The mulch they created would be sold to another company and resold to big-box retailers. Haddonfield Borough police officers, firefighters, and officials from the Shade Tree Commission came by.

It all began as Madison Castellano, 15, was trying to sleep in her second-floor room near the front of the house.

"A bunch of branches cracked, and then there was a big thud," she said calmly Tuesday evening, as if a tree falls on her roof most nights. Still, she alerted her Facebook followers as soon as possible.

"She is not easily rattled," her father said. "I was a bit anxious."

His first sign there might be trouble was Cleo, the Maltese, because "she only barked once, which I thought was strange." After seeing part of the tree through Madison's window and then atop his house, Stephen Castellano went to the third-floor attic. The center roof beam had been damaged, and, nearby, a branch had punctured the roof.

He put a big, blue bucket under the beam to catch any water, then moved his wife and daughter to the first-floor family room at the back of the house.

"I didn't sleep very well," he said.

Castellano called State Farm's 24-hour claims number and later talked to agent Brad Trimble twice. The location of trees -- before they fall -- can matter. Even though this tree stood on neighbor George Koenig's property, it fell on Castellano's house, so he is responsible. Castellano had a sense of that, but not by reading the fine print of his homeowners policy.

"Who does?" he said with a laugh.

Koenig will have to decide about the huge hole in his front yard caused by the tree stump's removal. He said he will weigh a landscaper's estimate vs. his homeowners policy deductible before deciding whether to file a claim.

Though there was no sidewalk to help judge, police and firefighters left Stephen Castellano with the impression that the tree was not in the borough's right of way. But officials arrived later to measure because the borough is responsible for "planning, planting, maintenance and removal" of about 9,500 trees in its right of way, according to the Shade Tree Commission website.

Castellano's insurer and the borough might have to discuss who pays the pre-job estimate of $4,800 from Lyon and Sons Tree Service. One crane was used to hold the trunk near the ground. The second was used to lift a climber to the roof. Climber and crane operator were connected by radio.

The climber would secure upper portions of the tree, then use a chain saw to separate that piece from the main trunk. The crane operator then lowered the piece to the ground, where three men used chain saws and a chipper. The process took about four hours total.

Shortly after the last of several trips, a big dent was visible in the center beam, and the 90-year-old, 100-foot-plus tree was reduced to a few large pieces and a lot of chips.

Matt Knecht handled the delicate task of guiding the boom on the 65-ton second crane, trying to lift the downed tree without causing any more damage to the Castellano house, or damaging neighbors' homes, other trees, or the electrical wires on the other side of Elm Avenue.

"You have to move slowly with the boom," Knecht said.

Move it too much one way, and it hits the climber in the face. "If you move it too little, it can drop into the house."

Contact staff writer David Sell at dsell@ phillynews.com or 215-854-4506. Read his blog at www.philly.com/phillypharma and on Twitter @phillypharma.

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