Festhallepatz Viersen - Hurricane Kyrill uproots tree, between 9-10 PM on Thursday 18th January, 2007.




This is the third big tree uprooted in the square over the past few months - two by storms, one by the council.

The warm winter is partly to blame, as this has left the soil soft and incapable of holding the roots in hurricane conditions. The roots of these particular trees also grow horizontally, and quite close to the surface, giving them less grip.

Luckily, the damage has been minimal. The first tree to fall (during the last storm) fell onto a baker's van parked on the square for the Saturday market. the roof was badly dented but the baker was back in business next morning. This last tree has fallen onto some sheds in the back gardens of some pleasant Heierstrasse houses, but the main brick wall running along the bordering path, between the gardens and the square, appears to be unscathed.

At any rate, the result is that the Festhalleplatz is looking a lot barer than it should. New trees are desperately needed to bring back some cover and greenness to this historic and popular Viersen square.