CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It's a scene no family wants to see, a house in pieces after a massive tree toppled over.

“I heard a big boom,” says resident Lapresha Clark. “Then I could see the roof caving in on me all around me except for my bed.”

Lapresha Clark, along with two others, was in the home when the tree dropped.

 “I had to crawl through fiberglass to get to them two,” says Clark.

While this scene seems pretty unbelievable, Charlotte arborist Tim Porter says it happens more often than you think.

"Trees can fall,” says Porter. “We have an aging canopy issue in the Charlotte area there’s some pockets of large, mature older trees and those are tons and tons of wood above our heads so it’s always good to look for red flags.”

Porter says while a tree may look sturdy, if you take a closer look the red flags are easy to see.

"Look for wounds, look for critters up in that tree,” says Porter. “If there are furry things bigger than squirrels living in the tree they’re probably living in a hole in the tree, that could be a problem. And look for the base. If you see some funky looking mushrooms at the base of the tree, that could be a root rot fungus."

He also says consistent wet weather doesn't help.

"Once you add a lot a lot of water, sometimes there’s nowhere for that water to drain out,” says Porter. “And when you have a tree that starts standing in quick sand that’s a bad thing because that tree could fall.”

Most importantly, Porter says stay vigilant before a storm to make sure your home or car aren't in compromising positions.

“It’s very dangerous some of these large oak trees, 30-40 tons of wood above our heads,” says Porter. “That’s a lot of dangerous weight coming down at one time."

For trees on public property, Porter suggests you call 311.

If you have questionable trees on your own property, Porter says call a certified arborist before it's too late.