Standing under the coconut tree - a nearmiss incident

Yesterday, I went to my friend's house and while leaving he came out upto the gate to see me off. While talking at the gate, all of sudden there was cracking sound and a dry big leaf (about 4 m long) of the coconut tree that is adjacent to the gate fell down, almost touching the backside of my friend. The tree is about 12-15 m high. When we saw up, one more such leaf is loosely hanging dangerously at the top and may fall any time due to heavy wind.
In the city where we do not see coconut trees due to apartment culture with no room left for trees, I forgot the dangers of standing under the tree, though we have a coconut tree at our house in the native place. My mother says, scorpions and even snakes are likely to be encountered when a person goes up to cut the coconuts from the tree or for removing the dried leaves. Same is the case with various types of palm trees. But their leaves are not as heavy as coconut leaves.
The incident is a near miss and a few millimeters made the difference to avoid getting hit by the coconut leaf.