Not content with almost causing a stampede at 24th Street BART and a Muni blockage at Dolores Park, this week’s storm also left the sign of departed clothing and accessory shop Multikulti on Valencia Street somewhat mangled.
Winds took down a tree on the block of Valencia between 16th and 17th streets and while the currently active storefronts nearby were spared any damage, the impact of the falling tree seems to have bent the rods holding the sign such that it now hangs much closer to the building. Some twine has been stretched between a security gate and the sign, though it’s unclear whether the rods holding the sign are actually unstable.
“A gust that big that could take down a tree could take down the sign,” said Marcus Mendez of nearby shop Therapy. Another manager at Therapy, Randy Jimenez, said he was cleaning up the store when the tree came down, cracking off branches of other trees as it went.
Update: A Fire Department spokesperson said Thursday afternoon that firefighters had secured the sign after the tree fell and will re-inspect the sign to check for any possible hazard.
Update 2: Firefighters inspected the sign a second time and found it not to be hazardous, but added additional safeguards nonetheless.