Long Beach officials remove damaged, dying trees to prevent possibly deadly falls

LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- Damaged and dying coral trees were removed from a park in Long Beach, only days after the mother of a bride was killed when a tree fell in a Whittier park.

Signs for the tree removal went up weeks ago, according to Marie Knight, director of Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine.

"Based on a 2014 survey, we're looking at those that might be in further decline. This past fall we've taken out several hundred trees," Knight said.

Some of those trees died because of the drought, while others from a beetle infestation. While concern over the trees did not stem from the Whittier tragedy, the event reinforced the push to get the trees taken down.

"It's nature. We have seen in the past year trees come down that weren't even on our radar screen," Knight said.

The city plans to replace the trees, but they may not be the same type. Officials also plan to work with arborists who might find a tree that can better handle drought-like conditions.