Storm season is upon us! Once a summer storm rolls through, most know to look for the obvious damage afterward like a tree on the ground or limbs scattered across the yard.
But a tree can survive a night of high winds and heavy rain while still coming out of it weaker than it was the day before. Just like a branch can crack without falling and roots can shift in saturated ground while the trunk remains upright. The storm might be over, yet the effects of these summer storms on your trees may not be.
Trees Don’t Always Fail During the Storm
We tend to picture storm damage as something immediate and dramatic, especially once the wind picks up. Instead, think of a storm as a stress test for your trees.
Healthy trees may bend, sway, and come through without a problem. Trees with existing weaknesses, including decay, dead limbs, damaged roots, old cracks, or poor structure, may be pushed closer to their breaking point.
You could say, at times, the storm creates the problem, but for others, it really just reveals one that has been developing for years.
The Most Important Question After a Storm: What Changed?
You don’t necessarily need to be a tree expert to notice when something looks different. After severe weather, compare your trees to what you are used to seeing. Has a tree started leaning? Is one side of the canopy suddenly lower? Is there a branch hanging at an unusual angle? Does the soil around the trunk look raised or cracked? All these changes matter.
That Branch Wasn’t Hanging Like That Yesterday
A partially broken branch can be easy to miss, especially high in a mature tree. It may still have leaves and look attached, but a crack could be hidden where the branch connects to the trunk.
If a large limb suddenly looks lower, twisted, or out of place after a storm, do not assume it will simply stay there.
The Tree Is Standing, but the Ground Looks Different
One of the biggest storm-related warning signs may be at your feet, once heavy rains saturate the soil around a tree’s roots. Add strong wind, and the entire root plate can begin to shift. The tree may remain upright, but you might notice cracked soil, raised ground, newly exposed roots, or movement around the base.
A tree with a compromised root system can be unpredictable, especially when the next round of severe weather arrives.
The Lean Looks New
Plenty of healthy trees grow at an angle. A tree that has leaned for decades is different from one that suddenly changed position after a storm. If you find yourself thinking, “Was that tree always leaning like that?” it is worth taking a closer look.
A new lean combined with disturbed soil or exposed roots can be a sign of instability and should not be ignored, particularly when the tree is close enough to reach a house, vehicle, driveway, road, or neighboring property.
Half the Tree Looks Different
The sudden loss of missing branches can change how the remaining tree carries its weight and how wind moves through the branches. The damage may also expose cracks or weak areas that were previously hidden.
Look for a tree that looks dramatically different after a storm and give it a second look, even if the remaining portion appears stable.
If you’re seeing something that looks different in any of the above ways after our last storm, contact Bergholz’s Tree Experts and have it checked before the next one rolls through.
