Winter is the season for some of nature’s most severe weather. Storms in all shapes
and forms create havoc throughout the country. One of the greatest dangers posed by storms is
presented by falling trees. Unsafe trees are a threat to lives and property.
“Many shade and ornamental trees are damaged throughout the year by windstorms,
lightning or ice and snow accumulations,” notes Tchukki Andersen, Board Certified Master
Arborist and staff arborist with the Tree Care Industry Association. “Damage usually consists
of a few broken branches. However more severe damage – such as splitting or pulling apart of
branch unions, removal of large areas of bark, twisting and splitting of the trunk, or even
uprooting – pose possible dangers.”
A few tree species, including Chinese elm, silver maple, boxelder and various
poplars, have brittle wood that is easily broken. These rapidly growing trees cause a considerable
amount of damage to homes, cars, buildings and utility lines each year. Homeowners should
be aware of these characteristics and void planting them close to potential targets. If such trees
are already growing in these locations, preventive pruning, bracing or cabling may help reduce
storm damage this winter. This is particularly true as the tree grows in size and the weight and
surface of the leaf and branch area increases.
Over the years, growing trees will “catch” more wind and become heavier, so they
are prone to increased mechanical stresses, thus increasing the chances of failure. Larger trees
will also affect an increased area should they or their larger limbs fall. This means that power
lines, homes and other structures that might not have been threatened a few years ago might
suddenly be under threat by a tree that has grown. Preparing trees for these natural disasters is
a must and should be done well in advance of the stormy season. To help ease these dangers,
have a professional arborist evaluate your trees. Doing this will help you determine potential
weaknesses and dangers.
Look at your trees for the following warning signs:
• Wires in contact with tree branches. Trees may become energized when they are contacted
by electric wires.
• Dead or partially attached limbs hung up in the higher branches that could fall and cause
damage or injury.
• Cracked stems and branch forks that could cause catastrophic failure of a tree section.
• Hollow or decayed areas on the trunk or main limbs, or mushrooms growing from the bark
that indicate a decayed and weakened stem.
• Peeling bark or gaping wounds in the trunk also indicate structural weakness.
• Fallen or uprooted trees putting pressure on other trees beneath them.
• Tight, V-shaped forks which are much more prone to failure than open U-shaped ones.
• Heaving soil at the tree base is a potential indicator of an unsound root system.
Remember, too, that a tree is a living thing, and its integrity and stability change over
time, so don’t assume that a tree that has survived 10 severe storms will necessarily survive an
eleventh.
This information is brought to you by the Tree Care Industry Association and the NJ Board
of Tree Experts.
Click here for a Storm Emergency Bag checklist in case evacuation is necessary.