es sustain storm damage due to numerous destructive weather patterns, like winter storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, and hailstorms. These extremes often catch people and their trees by surprise, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.
#1 Fresh Damage to Tree Trunks
One of the clearest signs of a storm-damaged tree is a fissure running the length of the trunk. This giant crack might be strictly cosmetic or show noticeable healing around the opened wound. However, more dramatic fissures split trunks or result in missing chunks of wood.
Lightning creates such cracks as powerful electrical forces shoot down the tree. Pressure from strong winds can further weaken or break wounded or sickly trunk portions.
#2 Broken or Detached Limbs
Check the tree’s crown for noticeable branch damage. Are broken branches hooked onto the surviving ones? Are some branches strewn across the ground?
Hanging limbs might be attached by a single thread of bark. These precarious attachments could plummet at any moment and need immediate removal services.
#3 Unstable Root Systems
Knowing how to identify storm damage on trees extends to the stability and health of the tree’s roots. Do you see leaning trees on your property following high winds? If you investigate the area around the specimen’s base, you might discover exposed roots that have lifted right out of the dirt.
The wind likely pushed the tree forward, which upset the root system. As the tree gave in to the pressure, the roots on the opposite side started to lift. If you find your tree in this unfortunate state, it will almost always need emergency tree removal services.
#4 Charred Areas on the Tree
Sometimes, lightning bolts don’t fully split the trunk or cause dramatic cosmetic damage. Rather, the signs can be subtle, including bark damage that manifests as blackened areas. These patches may smell smoky or burnt.
Even if the lightning didn’t directly strike the tree in question, it can jump from one specimen to another. The second specimen might incur less significant damage but still needs prompt treatment to survive.
#5 Defoliation
You can often tell a tree’s health status by its leaves, especially when you can’t find any other obvious storm damage. Does the tree look as though it has lost most of its leaves overnight? Intense winds and rainfall could do this.
Keep an eye on the specimen. Unseasonally bared trees might need help to recover.
Top Tier Tree Specialist’s Certified Arborist in Trenton, Florida, Can Help After Storms and Anytime
Now you know how to identify storm damage on trees. Learn about protecting trees from frost and other weather phenomena here. You can also contact Top Tier Tree Specialist at 352-472-8733 for emergency tree and debris removal services in Trenton, Florida, or regular tree services.
