Photo: Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images News / Getty Images
The Christmas tree in front of the White House was blown over by strong winds on Tuesday (November 28) afternoon. The 40-foot Norway spruce was planted on the White House Ellipse two weeks ago.
It is the second tree to be planted this year. The original tree had to be cut down and replaced after it became infected with a fungal disease. The current tree came from West Virginia's Monongahela National Forest.
On Tuesday, as wind speeds approached 40 mph in Washington, D.C., a strong gust of wind snapped one of the cables holding up the tree, causing it to crash to the ground.
It took workers about five hours to repair the cable and get the tree upright again.
"After assessing the tree's condition and replacing a snapped cable, the tree is now upright," park service spokeswoman Jasmine Shanti said in a statement.
The incident is not expected to impact the annual tree-lighting ceremony scheduled for Thursday evening.