One might watch a storm make its way through and be curious as to why a tree in the yard holds its ground while the next one is broken in two. Or perhaps you are left to your worries when the wind gets up, not knowing if that large oak by the house is secure. To know what befalls a tree in violent weather is something many would like to put to rest.
Since 1994 Everhart Tree Service has put such questions to rest for homeowners in the Kansas City metro area of Missouri and Kansas. We have been on the scene to see the effect of high wind on trees with our own eyes. Should the occasion arise, our team can be reached at (816) 640-4449.
There is a certain fascination to the science of storms. With that in mind we will put forward some fun facts concerning storm damage and the manner in which trees fail under a roaring wind.
Trees Are Meant to Bend, Not Break
Consider this: a sound tree is made to move. The roots keep things steady underground while the trunk gives way to the wind at the crown. In a sense the flexing is a means of defense; a swaying tree is expending energy rather than holding onto it.
Trouble is what ensues when a tree is unable to do so. Be it from age or disease, or damage of old, the structure may no longer be able to bend. Deprived of that flexibility, a tree is all too vulnerable to the wind.
How Trees Fail in High Wind
An arborist will tell you there are several patterns of failure, each with something to say about the tree’s history and health. They do not all go down in the same fashion.
You will come across these during a storm:
- Uprooting: the root plate is pulled from the ground, the soil being saturated
- A snapped trunk, typically at an old injury or where decay has set in
- Branch failure as big limbs are torn from the trunk
- Crown twist from the top of the tree being put under uneven pressure
- Included bark failure, a split between two stems that have grown close together
- Windthrow, the complete toppling of a shallow-rooted species
It is a fact that uprooting is largely the work of wet ground. After a few days of rain the soil has no hold on the roots. What puts a tree over is not always the force of the wind but the rain that preceded it.
Wet Soil Makes All the Difference
Rain is an oft ignored factor in storm damage. For a tree to be anchored the soil must be firm. Make it soft and the anchoring power is gone. On dry ground a tree could take the wind, but let the ground turn to mud and it will fall.
This accounts for the number of trees that come down at the tail end of a storm. The rain has done its part quietly and the wind sees it through.
The Quiet Peril of Dead Wood
People are sometimes taken aback to learn that dead branches have no give. Living wood will flex to absorb the force of a gust, but dead wood is brittle. It will just break.
For that reason they are the first to be brought down in a storm and also the most hazardous, liable to come down unannounced even in calm conditions.
Damage That Is Not Apparent
A tree may well get through a storm and appear unscathed, yet the stress has worked a crack in the trunk or undone the roots. Such injuries are not to be seen and can result in failure down the road.
After the storm is over look for:
- An increase in the tree’s lean
- Heaving or cracked soil at the base
- New cracks on the trunk or a major limb
- Any exposed roots or a branch that is only partly broken
Call in a Professional
It is better not to speculate over storm damage. If you have cause to think a tree is compromised, or if a storm has put in its appearance on your property, a professional should be called in.
Everhart Tree Service is at your service. We are A+ rated and accredited by the Better Business Bureau and provide 24/7 emergency service in the Kansas City metro in both Missouri and Kansas for residential and commercial clients. We will give you a free estimate. Call us at (816) 640-4449 to have our team put your mind at ease and ensure your property is safe.