An Oahu homeowner had to hire a private crew to clear a huge tree that fell across his house and into the road, a bad outcome for storm victims waiting on city help.

• James Richardson called his insurance company, the city, and the state for three days and got nowhere before paying for the removal himself.
• He was told the tree was not a priority even though it was sticking 11 feet into the road, and he missed three days of work guarding his home and car.
• The city has taken more than 400 calls about downed trees and branches since Sunday's storm and has cleared only about half.
• Crews are handling the worst cases first — blocked roads, damaged homes, and critical infrastructure — so smaller jobs are waiting.
• Richardson still does not know who owns the tree or who will pay; the city says residents in his situation can file a claim.

Outlook: Cleanup will drag on for days as private tree companies pick up the slack, and disputes over who pays are likely to follow.