Tree causes major damage to Belmont summer home

BELMONT — Two occupants of a shorefront home on Lake Winnisquam escaped injury when a large tree crashed through the second floor of the house as a severe thunderstorm moved through the area midday Saturday.

High winds accompanying the storm sent the large bull pine large into the house at 13 Gilman Shore Road, causing extensive damage and making the dwelling uninhabitable, according to Belmont Fire Lt. Tom Murphy.

The force of the tree hitting the house tore off half of the roof with the trunk of the tree crashing through the second-floor master bedroom.

Murphy said two people who were at home saw the storm approaching from the opposite side of Lake Winnisquam, and quickly gathered up seat cushions from the chairs and collapsed the umbrellas on the deck. No sooner had they gotten inside then the tree crashed into the house.

“They were shooken up, but there were no injuries,” Murphy said. He did not identify those in the house.

“The tree knocked the outside wall through to the first floor,” he said, describing the extent of the damage.

Firefighters were able to shut down the propane and electricity to the seasonal home to prevent the chance of fire. They also placed tarps over some of the house’s furnishings to protect them from the weather, Murphy said.

The incident was the most dramatic example of storm damage caused by the heavy storm, which included half-inch-size hail in some spots, Murphy said. He said there were also reports of fallen trees and limbs in other parts of town, including Horne Road, and Laconia Road (Route 106).

“It was a busy couple of hours,” he said of the multiple calls for service the department received.