Monday, September 04, 2017

Whether it’s a hurricane, Nor’easter, or severe thunderstorm, extreme weather and high winds present a risk to your trees and home. Large trees that are in leaf are particularly susceptible as the leaves will catch more wind, posing greater mechanical stresses.

You can help protect your property in advance by determining which trees might pose the greatest threat during a storm. The Tree Care Industry Association advises looking 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 unions 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 may indicate a decayed and weakened stem.
- Peeling bark or gaping wounds in the trunk could also indicate structural weakness.
- Fallen or uprooted trees putting pressure on other trees beneath them.
- Tight, V-shaped branch unions, which are much more prone to failure than open, U-shaped unions.
- Heaving soil at the tree base is a potential indicator of an unsound root system.

If your trees demonstrate any of these signs, trim branches accordingly, or contact an expert to see if the tree needs to be removed altogether. The time and investment of such advance work will help keep you safe and prevent much larger costs associated with damage.

If you’d like more homeownership information, please contact me.

Source: The Tree Care Association

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