Storm Damage
Storms are common in Northeastern Massachusetts. Whether it's a nor'easter, straight line winds from a thunderstorm, an ice-storm, a heavy wet snow or a hurricane, Greenleaf's can help. Trees that have decayed sections, are dying, have holes, or already dead are more prone to fall during extreme weather conditions such as high winds or ice and wet snow loads. This is why we recommend customers who have potential hazardous trees to take preventative action to have them removed before a storm occurs.
After the Halloween Snow Storm many clients have asked if their damaged or undamaged trees needed to be removed. The best way to determine what needs to be done is for us to come by and do an assessment. On site we can point out the determining factors for a safe healthy tree and for ones that need to be removed or pruned.
The following questions pertain to a tree that needs an arborist’s attention:
- My trees have damage from the Halloween snow storm now what?
- Which branches or trees should be removed now?
- Which ones may crash onto to my house in the future?
Hazardous Tree Questions:
- Are there large dead branches in the tree?
- Are there detached branches hanging in the tree?
- Have the tree’s roots been buried by construction?
- Has new construction ripped up large tree roots?
- Does the tree have cavities or rotten wood along the trunk?
- Are mushrooms present at the base of the tree?
- Has the tree been topped?
- Are there cracks in the trunk or where branches are attached?
- Has the trunk developed a strong lean?
- Are the roots bulging up from the soil?
- In the fall have the leaves fallen off too early?
When a tree has one or more of the above symptoms it may be deemed hazardous or dying. These trees are more likely to fail in high winds, thunderstorms, hurricanes, heavy ice or snow load or for no apparent reason. Sometimes corrective measures like pruning or fertilizing can help to save the tree but it’s generally safer to take down such trees before they cause property damage.