Submitted by Charlotte Osborne, Tree Preservation Board Chair
Most of us have seen what kind of chaos can ensue from a powerful storm. Downed power lines, branches through windows, uprooted trees and worse. Strong winds are to blame for most of the damage, but rain can be an added stressor, causing flooding and loosening the soil, especially around tree roots.
The end result is trees being toppled by winds as the roots are pulled out of the ground.
This is even more applicable for recently planted trees that haven’t yet developed a large root system to stabilize them during unpredictable wind gusts.
Storms also cause broken branches and even snapped tree trunks, making the trees dangerous to be around after the storm has passed.
Broken branches, in particular, can fall without warning, severely injuring a person or damaging a structure below.
And don’t forget the damage done to nearby buildings, wires/cables and satellite dishes from branches that fly about.
You might be tempted to remove trees to minimize damage caused by high winds, rain, snow and ice. But, as various storms have hit, we’ve seen that neighborhoods with the most tree cover actually have the least amount of damage and debris.
The secret is to have healthy, deeply rooted, well-maintained trees.
The best way to minimize the risk of storm damage caused by trees, and protect yourself and your property, is to perform a regular tree inspection.
Take some time to examine your trees. See if you spot any of the following issues, all of which increase the risk of damage from storms.
POTENTIAL TREE DAMAGE RISK FACTORS
- Dead or damaged branches and/or trees. Look for deadwood, cracks or splits, hanging branches or any other sort of damage. These are more likely to snap when under pressure from high winds.
- Diseased or decayed wood. Trees and branches that aren’t healthy are generally weaker and more vulnerable to breakage.
- Structural problems. While a tree care professional is best able to identify structural problems that compromise the stability of a tree, there are some things you can see yourself. Look for V-shaped crotches, crossing branches that are rubbing against each other, and top-heavy trees (where the canopy has been excessively “lifted” to provide more clearance underneath).
- Severely leaning trees. Just because a tree is leaning doesn’t mean that it will fall over. But the more it leans, the greater the risk of failure, especially when rains have saturated the ground.
- Poor root structure. A tree that’s not firmly anchored is more susceptible to failure during a storm. Things to look out for include girdling roots, cut or damaged roots (such as from nearby construction) and newly planted trees with little root growth.
- Topped trees. If a tree has previously been topped, it should be inspected for potential safety issues.
- Lion-tailed trees. During a storm, the heavy foliage growth at the end of long, bare branches gets whipped around, breaking the branches.
- Overly dense canopy. A tree with a thick canopy of leaves acts as a sail, rather than letting the wind pass through.
- Improperly pruned trees. Some trees are mistakenly “thinned” by removing a lot of branches from the interior of the tree, while leaving plenty of foliage around the outside. Unfortunately, this misguided technique makes storm damage more likely.
Condensed from American Tree Climbers/Managing/Tree Risk & Damage April 21, 2020. americantreeclimbers.com