Storm Damage

The storms over this past weekend wreaked havoc with larger trees. Although the damage was predominantly to evergreen trees, larger deciduous trees sustained damage as well. The two elements of our first nor’easter of the season that didn’t bring snow were strong wind gusts and lots of rain. If we had not gone into the winter season with saturated soils and had not had in excess of 70” of snow the damage from this storm would have been less severe. During periods of high winds trees with leaves or needles effectively act as sails catching the wind or providing resistance. When the soil is not saturated the roots have something to grab onto and support the tree. With many areas having saturated or mucky soils the roots could not support the tree when the winds were gusting. The damage would have been more severe to deciduous trees if the soil conditions were similar and the leaves were out.

So what can be done to avoid this situation in the future? We can’t control Mother Nature so reducing the amount of precipitation is out of the question. When planting larger trees try to avoid areas on your property that are wet all the time or have standing water after a storm. Consider grading areas of your property to eliminate standing water. There are many smaller trees and shrubs that tolerate if not thrive moist to wet conditions so consider these alternatives. Have larger trees on your property evaluated by a certified arborist. They can recommend fertilization or bio stimulants to strengthen the tree, or pruning to allow air to move through the plant reducing it’s resistance. There was a movie titled “The Perfect Storm,” these are “The Perfect Conditions” for trees to be up rooted.