Tervuren’s oldest resident — the centuries-old summer linden overlooking the ancient Roman crossroads in Duisburg — survived the powerful storm that swept through the municipality overnight. Other trees were less fortunate, including several that fell along Jezuseiklaan, the road where Prince Laurent lives.
“There is some damage across our municipality,” Mayor Thomas Geyns (Anders, Voor Tervuren) said. “I consulted several times overnight with our emergency planning service. To the best of our knowledge, no one was injured.”
Residents are asked to report storm damage through the online form at 1722.be, available in Dutch, French, German and English. Reports are forwarded directly to the fire brigade.
By Sunday morning, some residents were still waiting for fallen trees to be cleared from local roads. On Jezuseiklaan, however, residents — including Prince Laurent — benefited from assistance by the Royal Trust, which cut up and removed trees blocking the road.
The storm’s most remarkable survivor was the summer linden (Tilia platyphyllos) in Duisburg. Nearly 300 years old, the tree has endured fungal disease and the recent reduction of its once-expansive crown by municipal arborists.
Despite its thinning canopy, the linden withstood the storm. It stands about 25 meters (82 feet) tall, with a trunk circumference of roughly 5.5 meters (18 feet).
