700-year-old live oak splits, knocks hole in woman’s house

D’IBERVILLE, Miss. – A massive live oak tree that stood for seven centuries has split, sending around four tons (3,630 kilograms) of wood toppling onto a family home in Mississippi.

The Sun Herald reports no one at Barbara Taylor’s home was injured Friday, although the house itself now features a gaping hole. Taylor’s friend James McKinley told the newspaper that local arborists verified the tree’s age.

He says the costs to repair the damage to Taylor’s home are still being determined. She suffered a stroke last year.

University of South Mississippi landscape superintendent Loren Erickson has told the newspaper that live oaks are prone to losing their heavy branches during rainy spells.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, live oaks are considered iconic Southern trees and can live for centuries.

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Information from: The Sun Herald, http://www.sunherald.com